The people who are there
by Loveforthestory
Summary: Friendship, family. Love. Passion. Charloe. With many characters, scenes and a story written for Lemonsupreme.
1. Chapter 1

The people who are there

 _Written for the lovely Lemonsupreme_

1.

Jeremy hears a ring in his ears. His head feels numb. His mind is slowing down in a nice fuzzy way and soothed with many pain killers who are starting to do their job.

There are a couple of stitches in his body. Well, there are a lot of them actually but he had stopped counting them and focuses again on the very pretty doctor in front of him _. Maggie Foster_ , Jeremy had read on her white doctors coat. Apparently, trying to make a good impression while currently staying in a crowded ER with a swollen eye and a shitload of painkillers in his system was not that good of an idea.

'Sit still Mr. Baker,' Doc Foster says. The British accent is not lost on him. He is not going to lie. He might have some steamy doctor fantasies every now and then and that accent is one hell of a nice little touch to that fantasy.

Jeremy grins at her but does what she asks. 'You know you can call me Jeremy.' He tries.

Maggie just laughs with her eyes at her patient tonight but the rest of her face looks concentrated while she keeps on working with focus on his last three stitches. She has to put them right under his eye on his cheek and she wants to get them right. He is very charming but also on his way to be very high on painkillers.

Maggie just wants to get her shift over with and then return to her apartment she rents a little further downtown, so she can catch her two children and see them through their connection through internet and screens of phones and laptops. Being divorced is already rough enough, taking the job that was offered to her here even more. But missing her children, is taking its toll on her. She wishes the economy was better, but jobs like hers are not easily available anymore. So she made a choice. A very hard choice. She looks forward to seeing them at breakfast in the UK on her phone. The time difference is a challenge, but her moments with her children are everything to her. She misses them.

In a while she gets to go home, pour herself a glass of wine and maybe call that one friend later. A friend who has been there since she met him while she was drinking coffee in front of the hospital on her break. She was just about to pour some milk in her coffee when he had accidently bumped into her table. He had apologized. She had smiled, told him it was okay.

He had been here for his kid and one quick coffee lead them slowly into to a friendship that maybe is on its way to more. But there cannot be more. She has seen the pictures of his children. They are amazing and Maggie Foster feels like they should always come first. So she will enjoy her friendship with him, with wine and conversations that keep her strong. But there cannot be more.

When she is done with making sure her last patient of the night is taken care of she pushes the little metallic stool with tiny wheels under it back while she removes her gloves.

Jeremy tries to think of a way to save the whole situation with a wide grin but doc just nods at him.

'Al right, take these...' she gives him more painkillers to take home with him as she starts to give him instructions how to take care of the wounds.

'Take care of yourself Mister Baker.' Maggie says friendly. She moves back the curtain that has been around his bed.

Jeremy salutes her. 'Will do Doc. Thanks.'

Maggie cannot help but throw him a real smile this time before she greets him and walks into the crowd of people that is buzzing in the ER.

And now, he is sitting on a stupid plastic chair. In a stupid hospital. Alone with his thoughts. It had happened again. It had not happened in a very long time. But tonight, anger and grieve spiked again. They are still in his body, although the pain of bruises on his jaw, cheek and one swollen eye keep the worse out. For now.

Jeremy shuts his eyes. It is that one day that comes back every damn year. He had already felt it when he had gotten up this morning. The day had ended here, with him sitting in a hospital room after a fight in front of a bar. A fight he started.

Jeremy sighs, than hisses from the pain of a couple of bruised ribs as he tries to grab his phone from his pocket. He is looking for one name. He does not want to interrupts Bass' evening. He had told them earlier with a proud grin on his stupid face he was getting laid tonight and Jeremy does not want to spoil his best buddies evening. The killer sad puppy eyes he would get from Bass were good for a nice guilt trip.

So his hand moves over the screen of his phone until he finds what he is been looking for. One name.

 _Miles Matheson._

 _13 years ago_

Jeremy had already been on the filthy wet ground when he had seen the contours of two men at the beginning of the alley. His cheeks and jaws were hurting. Blood was gushing down from his face and now everywhere and moving into his mouth. The haze of too much alcohol he had just conquered in a bar only a block away still in his system. The grieve not far too. But the bruises and pain spreading made that buzz of whiskey and grieve disappear quickly. Giving way to sharp pain.

Not five minutes ago he had watched a tall bald guy spit something in his face when he had walked past his and his buddy. He had already threw them an amused drunken look for even trying to talk like that to him. Next to bald guy stood another smaller guy. Then their eyes had gone to a couple walking behind Jeremy on the sidewalk. They whistled to the girl and said something disrespectful.

And Jeremy had already felt old rage that was born the day he had lost so much building up deep inside of him the moment tall bald guy had opened his mouth. He had not been able to walk away. So he had turned and started what had knocked him of his feet.

And before he knew it, the couple next to him had walked on and he had been on the ground at the beginning of a dark alley. Being beaten and punched. He had fought back. But the two assholes had gotten him on the ground. They were still beating the shit out of him when Jeremy had heard another voice. Then another. It made the two assholes next to him stop.

Bass stood a bit behind Miles. And as Miles' eyes were filled with disgust and the start of rage of what was happening right in front of him in this alley, it had been Bass who had been the one trying to keep everyone calm.

'Miles...Miles,' Bass said, his voice slower than normal, but with more urgency to reach Miles when he watched Miles take another step forward.

But Miles did not listen. He had watched the two assholes that were beating the shit out of the dark blonde man about their own age in front of them, now laying down in the alley.

He was tired of everything that was going on in dark alleys and shadowy corners of this world. Miles stepped in quickly and punched the taller bald guy right in his face. His fist made contact with the guy's jaw. The guy went down and did not open his eyes.

'So what, we are now just walking around the city and knocking guy's unconscious ourselves?' Bass had yelled, shock and disbelieve in his eyes for Miles' fast punch and the way he was interfering with what was going on.

'Someone has to do something, Bass.' Miles said with force in his words. Bu also with a raw layer of pain in his voice.

Bass locked eyes with Miles. He watched pain there that had been there for so long. Ever since they were brothers and Bass had walked home with Miles after school through the streets of Jasper, he knew that things at Miles' place were not what they were at his.

His own dad, fair, decent and with a good heart and with gentle hands and a strong jaw line had meant home. Always. But Bass had always felt the shift in Miles when Bass watched him walking into the front door of his own home. Miles' father drank. A lot. He tried to be a father. But the drinking had taken its toll on him. And that, had taken its toll on Miles. Bass had watched Miles with his father. Miles' dark brown eyes filled with too much helplessness.

Miles had been there for his mom, as he had taken over too many tasks that belonged to a parent. It had left traces of anger and deep hurt in his brother and changed the way he was and looked at the world for good.

Bass hands were already on his way to grab his phone and call the police when he was not letting Miles go with his eyes. 'I'm calling the cops.'

Tall bald guy's friend stepped slowly to the left.

'Oh, you are not going anywhere.' Miles said. Even when beaten up, Jeremy picked on an easy sarcasm.

The guy next to the taller bald one looked like he was going to wet himself. He was not moving anymore, just looking at Bass and then back to Miles with wild eyes.

The police arrived quickly. Both men were arrested and taken away from the alley. Bass and Miles had helped Jeremy up slowly. Both men supporting him. Bass had slowly moved his arm around his neck. It had been the beginning of their friendship.

And now, Jeremy sits on a stupid plastic chair. History had repeated itself. It is late. His head hurts. He remembers Miles' necklace hovering right over him, on that day. In that alley. He remembers Miles asking him if he was all right. He remembers thanking him for saving his life.

He presses the phone to his ear and let out a grunt of pain. 'Pick up man, come on.'

Someone does pick up. But it is not Miles.

'Hey Miles, it's me man.' Jeremy starts.

'This is Charlie.'

Jeremy stars to grin slightly, cursing through his pain for even think about grinning.

'Charlie Matheson. Niece of Miles Matheson himself and damn founding father of the drunken Christmas reindeer game?' Jeremy asks with a grin in his words

'Yeah, that would be me.' Charlie's smirk is radiating through the phone. Jeremy can feel her strength and warmth through the phone.

'Look kid, I am in some kind of trouble. Kind of landed my ass in the hospital and need somebody to pick me up...' Jeremy starts. 'Is your uncle around?'

He pretends he does not hear her snort when he had reached the _I am in some kind of trouble_ part.

'Miles forgot his phone before he got to work this evening. He is at the bar now.' Charlie answers.

Jeremy curses, Miles hates his phone. He leaves it behind at the same rate woman leave their underwear behind in Bass' apartment.

'Listen ..' Jeremy can hear her hesitate as he is picturing her looking at the screen to catch his name, '...Jeremy it is right? ' She does not even wait for him to answer. 'Just tell me where you are and I will come and pick you up.'

He has just enough time to tell her which hospital he is in before she has already hung up on him and he looks kind of sheepishly in front of him.

'Well, that is going to be interesting.'

* * *

When Charlie finds the right hospital room after following the directions she got from a nurse at the nurse station, her eyes fall on him first. He is sitting with his back a bit towards her in the small ER room.

Bass Monroe. Bass. Miles' best friend, brother and partner in many crimes involving woman and whiskey.

She has not seen him in years. He is busy with work, Miles is busy too. The last time she has seen him she was still a teenager. Last years have been busy ones for her too with college, life and family still waiting for her next to that college and taking care of and making sure her family keeps it all together. She is trying and starting a life for herself. Life has not been easy, but Charlie is too stubborn to not make it work. She always finds a way.

Bass sits on chair not far from Jeremy. Jeans, boots, simple shirt. He does not need more, Charlie decides with a grin. He has a phone in his hand and he looks up, with his thoughts still with his phone. But then his eyes disconnect from the screen again as he sees her and recognises her.

Before Bass can open his damn mouth, Jeremy, _the asshole_ , is taking all the attention away from him. He is torn between the girl that is grabbing his attention in the room fast, and the one girl he can honestly say he does not remember her last name from. He does know she is 22 and kind of not shy. But she fades with Charlie in the room.

'Charlie..' Jeremy says with a surprised grin on his face. As he is looking at the woman walking in to the ER room he is currently in. Jeans, simple tank, blue eyes and that wide Miles Matheson grin plastered around her face. Oh, this one is Matheson and all grown up, he thinks to himself.

Bass looks at Jeremy, as he watches the grin on his face. And he does not like the way he is looking at Charlie. Jeremy just grins at him smugly to piss him of while Bass looks at him behind Charlie's back with a pissed hint of blue in his eyes.

'And you must be Jeremy...' She laughs. And walks to both men. Bass is still looking at her and Charlie can feel his eyes now on her.

'Ah, so you have already found some help to get you home?' Charlie grins to Bass.

'Yeah, the nurses found my number in his phone,' Bass says before Jeremy can talk to her, throwing her blue eyes and a wide grin.

Charlie cannot look away from him. There is something about the way he pronounces the words nurses with a playful grin that catches her attention. It is a rough edged flirtatious play with his voice and words.

But then he gets up and walks over to her, giving her a fast hug. And he is Bass again, the Bass she remembers and likes so very much.

'Good to see you Bass,' Charlie says into his neck.

Bass feels her against him. They have hugged many times like this, but now, things are different. She is different. Older, grown up. With eyes that hold her Charlie lightness but also carry much more, a kind of slow worry that he does not like to see there.

'Good to see you too, kid.' He mutters into her hair.

Charlie tenses up at the word kid, and Bass feels her muscles tense under his hug. But then the moment is over. Charlie steps away, looks at Jeremy as Bass' phone starts to beep again. He grabs the phone and looks away from Charlie with regret. Throws Jeremy another dirty look for looking again at Charlie. This time, Charlie does not miss the swing and shift in both Bass' mood and eyes that come and go quickly.

Jeremy grins at Bass and then shakes his head, before turning his attention back on Charlie.

'Forget he is even here Charlie,' Jeremy's starts, getting up from the chair in the small ER room. 'He is just a bit pissed at me of interfering with his plans in the getting laid department.'

Now Bass' eyes really shoot steel thunder at Jeremy. Charlie rolls her eyes at all the men banter and she decides to step in.

'All right, let's get you home.' Charlie says firmly. She looks from Jeremy to Bass, unsure for a second how to take care of everything.

'Yeah, that would be in your car, Charlotte, I walked over here.' Bass replies quickly as he scratches the back of his head. There is a hint of something raw in his voice when he gives her the once over with blue eyes and he calls her Charlotte.

She feels pissed fast. No one calls her that. Not anymore. Bass used to call her that once or maybe a couple of times more and a long time ago, when she was ready to be a princess and take the world by storm in ballerina shoes.

But she is not that girl anymore and it is Charlie now. Charlie Matheson. She always liked Bass, but right now she thinks he is an asshole.

She throws him a fast Matheson smirk in his face and Bass thinks she might be about to hell him to go to hell. She doesn't. She does turn her attention back to Jeremy who is grinning now at Bass from getting so much attention from such a lovely girl.

Bass rolls his eyes and walks behind and catches up with Charlie and Jeremy. Jeremy finds himself between a Matheson and Monroe once again, as they slowly walk out of the ER into the Philly night and

* * *

Bass has been finally able to reach Miles at the bar. The place sounds crowded and Miles has to raise his voice to reach over the people there drinking and talking over loud music. Bass can just imagine his friend behind the bar, before the many bottles of booze and with the phone pressed against his ear. Miles curses as Bass tells him what happened. Then it is silent at the other side of the line Bass hears Miles think.

'Is the moron all right?' Miles wants to know. Not being able to keep worry out his voice.

Bass looks at a Jeremy playing the role of the poor wounded guy and Charlie helping him to his bed.

'He will be fine.' Bass informs Miles with gritted teeth and a lock of his jaw as he watches Charlie taking care of Jeremy. 'Got to go man.'

Charlie grabs some pillows and puts them under his head as she helps Jeremy lay back in his bed. She is rolling his eyes at him as Bass is walking into the room.

Bass cannot believe how Baker is fucking playing this.

'You know, you are enjoying this a little bit too much.' She says to Jeremy with a firm voice.

'She is not wrong there.' Bass adds, pressing his lips together and watching Charlie taking care of his best buddy.

'Miles just promised to check on you first thing in the morning when he is done closing up the bar.' Bass reports back.

'So, phone, painkillers, water.' Charlie sums up.

'A kiss goodnight?' Jeremy tries.

'Another punch in the face and Miles killing you?' She asks with a sugar sweet voice.

Jeremy decides to keep quiet as Bass snorts now behind her. Charlie misses two things as she adjusts the glass of water on his nightstand. Bass rolling his eyes and the flash of the start of some good old fashioned jealousy on his face at Jeremy's words. Jeremy doesn't. They all can really mess around, him, Bass and Miles. But it is an honour code to not mess with the girls you know the other likes.

And then Jeremy locks eyes with one of his oldest friends. And he gives Bass an understanding nod. Because even through the mess that is tonight and the painkillers Jeremy can see that Bass feels something for this Matheson girl.

* * *

Charlie walks back to her car. Bass follows her. Knowing Jeremy is safe at home and Miles only a couple of hours away from checking up on him and Jeremy's bark to get out they had left his home moments ago. Telling him he should call if he needed anything. Charlie offered Bass a ride home when they traded Jeremy's palce for the steps down right in front of his appartment.

She starts the engine. Bass is sitting next to her as some good old AC/DC is on the radio. He cannot hide the grin on his face at hearing the first words of highway to hell and many memories rush back. So, Charlie does know her music. He smiles as he looks at her in between texting some girl back. His thumbs rush over the screen with experienced movements.

A Mini Miles indeed.

'So, got any plans?' Bass turns his head towards her when he just sends another message to a girl he is not that interested in anymore.

'Well, I was about to find myself a good drink after a long day but then your buddy called and kind of prevented from me actually getting to that drink.' She smiles at him.

He scans her face with his eyes. Charlie wishes he didn't. It reaches all the way through her. When Sebastian Monroe looks at you, he really looks at you

'You?' She says with a smile in her eyes, now focussed back on the road.

'Well, I think my chances with this girl are pretty down to zero after I kind of stood her up.' Bass grins, his honest answer not surprising Charlie.

Bass is a kind of a womanizing drunk as her mom had once said. But Charlie disagrees with Rachel, like she disagrees with her mom about mostly anything.

Bass, he is all right. Honest, kind, a good heart. Bass does have fun, as he enjoys his time with the many ladies that have been there. But she has never seen him treating a woman like he shouldn't. He is respectful and never makes you feel his attention is not all on you. So why not enjoy life and have some fun? Life is short, Charlie knows that.

'Jeremy kind of ruined your date there?'

Bass grins at her being so open. This is a whole new field they are playing on with this grown up, smart mouth, all kinds of good strong woman that Charlie is, sitting next to him in her car.

'Well...date...' his voice sighs in a deep rumble with a grin in his words, 'so far, we were in the middle discussing her black little dress.'

Charlie laughs out loud. 'Oh I see...' She makes a right.

'You know, I can make you that drink myself?' Bass tries. Then curses at himself. There is no way in hell this is going to work.

Bu then she surprises him.

She is watching the road. Then she is watching him again with blue eyes and a smile that do already way too fucking much to him.

It is late, and it is just them on the road. Her family far away, the shit he is facing every day shoved back by her eyes and daring smile when Charlie answers him.

'So, where is that place of yours you can make me that drink?'

* * *

The drink that he is going to pour for her into a small whiskey glass, comes from a bottle on a small table in his living room. Charlie watches him throw his keys on a table in the hallway and then walk over to that small table. She watches him poor the whiskey into the glass with a steady hand. She feels his eyes on her. Curious and burning blue.

Something on her left catches her attention. His home does something to her. It is sturdy but yet warm and welcoming. She realises quickly it is so much like Bass.

There is a large strong looking wooden desk in the middle of the room on her left. It is impossible to not see it. It is demanding her attentio, just like Bass can. Drawing her eyes to that part of his home. The wood of the desktop belonging to the desk is deep brown and filled with maps.

Bass walks over to her as he cannot look away from her. He takes slow steps and hands her over a glass filled with liquid amber whiskey. She looks up from the maps in front of her and locks eyes with Bass in a slow way. Both of them taking their time and feeling the effect of the strength of their eyes pulling the other in for the very first time.

Her fingers wrap themselves around her glass and she starts sipping it. Bass has seen a lot of things, but a Charlie with whiskey in her hand and her lips slowly touching the glass when she is appreciating the whiskey like a true Matheson in his damn apartment, makes something stir deep inside of him.

Charlie's hand move around the glass as she looks back to the table.

'So, what is this?' She asks, drinking her whiskey. She feels him so close now, right behind her and a bit next to her. If she would lean back she could feel his chest. It is an inviting thought that is crashing in. And she is curious, so curious all of a sudden what it will be like. Him.

'Work,' He answers shortly, his voice too close to her ear. She can scent the whiskey on his breath now he is drinking his whiskey and they are standing here in his living room so very closely.

'I organize all sorts of training events and workshops about survival techniques and teambuilding with Jeremy. Mostly for companies.'

He moves closer and moves his arm and hand over to one map on the table. His body is still behind her but his arm is moving past her left arm and left breast. And Charlie takes, needs to take, another sip of her whiskey. She is now standing in the nook of his tall body.

Bass points at the map, his fingertip she cannot look away from, touching the paper.

'We think about this part of the area here...' his breathe is now against her ear, '...and here for our next gig.' He moves his finger over the map. Charlie watches the military precision with how he is moving his finger over the map.

Bass is fucking aware of Charlie so damn close. He talks about his company and is drinking his whiskey but all he can do is feel a shiver moving through Charlie's back. Fuck, this is going fast into all kinds of direction that makes it impossible to keep his dick under control.

Charlie leans in closer to his chest, just to see what would happen. She listens to Bass. There is something about Bass standing next to the desk and talking about a new training, the location and his work with a strong and in control tone of his voice that is pulling her in. Making her lean in closer just to see what happens. What he will do. What she will do next.

His voice is so in control and low and rough that it is turning her on. It should not turn her on. But this side of Bass, his territory, his field of expertise and standing next to his desk and his maps, turn her into liquid desire.

So she listens, her back towards hard muscles that make her almost gasp. He is wide, and tall and so hard. Defined with muscles under his tanned skin. She watches his arm, the Monroe tattoo on his forearm. His arm looks strong and she likes the tattoo there, black ink on smooth skin. She almost craves to touch his arm.

She moves her eyes from the tattoo to the v of his shirt and then meets his eyes. Bass takes another sip from his whiskey and she cannot look away from his lips touching the glass.

Bass sees her and he craves to taste Charlie like whiskey.

When she follows the scruff of his beard with her eyes he dives in. He moves slowly, taking her mouth, playing with their distance as he lets Charlie come to him. His free hand moves to cup her cheek. The kiss is slow and deepens with every second that passes.

Until the fire, just like the slow burning fire in whiskey, is too much. Charlie tastes him. A sweet colliding of Bass, whiskey and the hint of manly strength on his tongue.

She leans in, this time against his chest. Bass puts his whiskey on the table with a slow determined pace and then puts her whiskey on the table as well and takes control of their next step. Just like the control she just heard in his voice.

He moves his large hand on her lower back. Pulling her in for another kiss. It moves into frantic touching and exploring. Bass guides her completely into his arm as Charlie moans into his neck. She needs to feel more of him, everywhere, her body now screaming with lust for him. She cannot stop it.

Neither does Bass. Neither of them want to stop this. It is dark outside and in his living room, only a couple of lamps glowing in corners around them and there are two glasses of whiskey on the table right next to now forgotten maps.

Charlie kisses him, touches him, lets Bass take control again when he moves back into the large chair behind his desk. Taking her with him. She ends up sitting on his lap. His wide thighs under her, his hand roaming her body. Moving under her top and freeing her breast from her tank just enough to suck on them.

His cock twitches with the sight of her tits flowing over the fabric of her tank and the taste of her skin, the feel of perfect tits against his scruff and jaw.

The moment she feels Bass hard between her thighs and realises how much strength radiates from the anticipation of his hardness waiting for her, she cannot control herself anymore.

Bass has just enough time to grin smugly at her wanting him so fucking much before she whips that grin right of his face by opening the button of his pants. She frees his cock and works her magic over the head of his hard dick. This time, Bass shuts his eyes and groans. Before he remembers again that Charlie is in his lap and he needs to see her. All of her.

When they are in, they are in. They both realise it at the same time. It is how they live their lives, how they fight for the people who are there and mean the damn world to them.

It is also how they want to take the other, hold the other and find release with the other. Charlie wriggles out of her pants as Bass' eager hands help her out of her jeans enough so he can place her over his cock. Charlie braces herself with her hands on his chest as Bass fills her.

'God...' She moans deeply as she fills the room with her deep moan.

Bass has to push his tongue between his teeth before he cups her cheeks with both of his hands. Demanding and needing all of her. Then he pulls her in for a kiss. Their kisses become wet, just like the wet heat between their bodies and Charlie's belly touching his stomach when he is fucking deep inside of her. They move, they grunt, they sweat. Two glasses on the desk next to them forgotten as they move as one on their way to shattering release.

* * *

 **Dear Lemon, I hope you liked this start in this first chapter. It started with a small idea but it is going to be a longer story now. With more back story, with more from Jeremy and more from his character. With Charloe and a lot of story for Jeremy, Miles, Charlie and Bass as the story moves them in time. Together with other characters and things waiting to happen there for them. Thanks for reading everyone. Feedback or a review is alwaysso ver welcome.** **Love from Love**


	2. Chapter 2

_The people who are there,_

2.

'Hell...yeah...' Bass groans as he adjusts Charlie so he has more leverage when taking more of her hips in his hands. They are in her very tiny and not so very perfect apartment in the city and he came over to pick her up for dinner. Apparently he also came over to come hard in between her legs while he is pounding her against the wall of her hallway.

Charlie wraps an arm around his neck, her free hand demands his scruff to go through. Bass grins at so much eagerness from Charlie as he is holding her up between his tall body and the wall. Charlie's legs are around his hips and she is demanding now for more with her eyes only. And fuck, isn't he fucked when it comes to those eyes of her.

The sounds that escape her throat are absolutely adorable and intoxicating at the same time. Bass needs more from them. So he pushes harder, thrusting deeper and faster inside of her until he feels the sweet victory of making her come right in his fucking arms, with her core pulsating around his dick.

Charlie is eagerly and happily letting Bass take charge. He is good at a lot of things and holding her up against a wall with his thighs and those intense steel lust filled eyes of him is one of those things.

She comes with his fingers deep into the flesh of her thighs, knowing there will be dark blue spots in the morning. She comes with her arms around his neck and tilting her hips deeper over his cock and a satisfied moan. The moan turns into a wicked smile when she feels how he comes too.

She is readjusting her clothes by the time they have both caught their breath. Bass places a gentle kiss somewhere in between her hair and temple. Then he moves over to her neck. _That._ All of a sudden she knows why she cannot stay away from the man that is Sebastian Monroe. The combination between soft and hard, between those eyes that can go from ocean blue and hard steel. Hard shaped muscles and gentle kisses and touches with a good heart and warm smile.

She looks up at him, her eyes exploring him, as he looks at her and then grabs his shirt and moves it back over his shoulders and chest.

They have been dating for six weeks now and these past weeks had been weeks of work, flirtatious texting in between his work and giving training days or weekends with Jeremy. Her looking for a new place in the city she feels like could be her home. There are late phone calls. There is wine, dinners, movies and a lot of great sex everywhere.

And with Bass Monroe everywhere means everywhere, Charlie smiles at herself. She grabs her purse from its spot on a chair in her living room as her skin remembers _his_ hot kisses and target sure fingers in a darker alley near that one movie theatre they both like. Her lips all around everything that is Bass' in his kitchen after dinner. Him surprising her, tall, hard and ready next to his car.

'Come on, we are late,' Charlie grins at him, as one look on the clock in her kitchen tell her they are not only late, but very late. Her cheeks burning and with blushes on them from all the things Bass has just done to her and for her.

'Hey don't look at me,' Bass holds up his hands with a fake innocence in his smirk, 'You are the one who could not keep her hands of me.'

Charlie throws him a very deadly rolling of the eyes. He likes it about her, so damn much. She is not afraid to say what's on her mind. He just smirks at her some more. And he knows he is kind of fucking right here.

Charlie knows it is the truth. He just had to walk that stupid ass of him in here with that one black leather jacket that follow the lines of his shoulders and chest to perfection. But then she remembers Bass' eager fingers sliding under her shirt and she also knows it is not the whole truth. And Bass knows. The asshole know.

She punches him hard on his wide upper arm with a slender but very strong fist. Bass' starts to curse something.

Bass moves her quickly against the wall for a long last kiss with eyes that are filled with some flash of warning and awe for her at the same time. Pinning her closely, pushing her belly against his groin, making her feel how strong he is.

' Dammit, Miles taught you that, huh?' His eyes are very close to hers. Hell, this woman has some good aim for all the right spots with that punch of hers. Now it is Charlie's time to smirk.

One last searing kiss settles the small battle between them and they are both laughing and out of the door right after that. Charlie grabbing her keys and Bass right behind her, closing her door.

They have a restaurant to go to.

* * *

Jeremy is sitting around a wooden table and enjoying his second drink. He looks at his watch again. Then he looks to the door again of the casual restaurant but with killer food and great assortment of possibilities when it comes to the whiskey. The small table he has arranged for them in this restaurant down town is still empty. And so is his stomach.

Jeremy sighs. He likes his friends. A lot. But right now he really wants to kill them for leaving him in this damn restaurant. He already got a sympathetic look from the cute waitress and he did not like it.

He has organized this dinner. It is thank you dinner for taking care of him when he was kind of wounded and as Bass would say, acting rather pathetic. Miles had looked at his stitches the morning after and had said something about hell, those are just some scratches Jeremy.

Jeremy laughs at the memory of Miles and his stupid face when he told them that. And then he smiles at the way Bass and Miles are always bitching around. But truth is, they are there when he needs them.

Jeremy remembers the night he met them both. The night they had saved his life in that alley, stopping the two guys that had been attacking them. He remembers why he had been drinking that night. What he was trying to forget. The people he once called his family. Before his wife had cheated on him. Took the kids and just left. Disappear into a country too big to track them down. Years later and he had tracked them down. Only to find them not alive anymore. Another wave of grieve washed over and had moved inside of him. This one was final. There had been no more hope. Only more anger, more despair.

After that night, Bass and Miles had moved into his life too. Time has moved them on over a decade. But the sting of what could have been, of losing his kids is still there. The time that was stolen with them from him And Jeremy was not the one to talk about it that much, hiding behind casual jokes and a charming smile. But both Bass and Miles know it is about more, know about his loss and his constant grieving on even more on some days of the year.. But they are the guys who do not push him and still drink their beers with him.

He is just about to launch a flirting and charming campaign for the nice waitress that passes his table again when he sees them walking in. Charlie walks in first, Bass holding open the door for her. Jeremy sits back in his chair with a smirk as he watches them.

Bass and Charlie. Looking back at the pissed of faces he has gotten from Bass from moment one he had met Charlie, he knew Bass was really into her.

'Hey Jeremy,' Charlie smiles, a little out of breath as she moves next to him. Her eyes scan for the menu as she feels hungry all of a sudden. Jeremy follows her grabbing the menu as he sees the blushes on her cheeks.

Bass grabs a chair next to her.

'Hey man,' Jeremy nods with an amused smile. _Oh Bass. You dog_. Right before Bass can answer him, Miles walks in to the restaurant with his slow pace, black shirt and silver necklace that is never not around his neck.

'Uncle Miles,' Charlie greets Miles, getting up from the table to meet him, knowing how much he hates the label Uncle. That is the reason why she uses it so very much.

Miles laughs but then feels awkward at the whole showing affection in public thing. He answers her hugs before patting her back.

'Yeah, let's just order, I am kind of hungry here kid.'

Jeremy grabs his drink and moves it to his lips as Charlie sits back down. Oh this is even better than watching a really good movie. His eyes go from Charlie, to Miles and then to Bass who looks at him and then looks away again, his eyes everywhere but on Jeremy now.

Charlie tries to focus on Miles. On Jeremy. But Bass is so close, with his leather jacket and some kind of manly after shave that is stimulating her from the moment he walked into her place. His scent is moving to her skin and into the fabric of her casual but sophisticated deep blue shirt for the night.

And as Miles starts to sit down and they start to order, Jeremy does not miss the looks between Charlie and Bass. And then, when Miles does not see it, Jeremy _does_ it. Bass' hand is trailing over her arm for just a second.

They order. They eat. They joke around. They talk. Charlie enjoys the company of her men. Bass close, her uncle there. Jeremy as a new friend.

Through dinner, Jeremy' eye start to fill with more amusement as his mind connects the dots and he understands what is going on between Charlie and Bass, right in front of Uncle Miles' eyes. Miles gets up from the chair, as he excuses himself for a second.

Jeremy grabs his drink as both Charlie and Bass look at him with two sets of blue eyes, that are looking at him now. Bass is already starting to shake his head with a dangerous thunder in his eyes. Because he damn well knows what is about to happen next.

But Jeremy cannot hold back anymore. Oh, this is just too good, he thinks to himself. Jeremy has the bottle of beer in his hand as a giant smile starts to spread around his face, with just a little bit of evil amusement in it.

'Oh you are in some trouble now.'

* * *

Months pass and Charlie gets to see more of her uncle than she has in a very long time. She gets to know more about Jeremy and it is hard not to continue to feel of instantly like she had felt for him when she met him for the first time the late night she got his phone call and got into her car to pick him up in the hospital.

He is fun. Charming with ease without making it feel too much. He is not afraid to open his mouth to either Miles or Bass. That makes her already give him a lot of credit.

Jeremy treats her with respect and as a good friend without treating her she is about to break or is some kind of precious thing that has to be protected. He makes her smile with his witty lines and wicked grin. He is fun but not too light. He carries something with him, that Charlie cannot put into words. They are becoming friends fast.

She is also seeing more of Bass than she has ever seen from any guy. And she realises she does not want it to be anyway different. She knows he is known for his _many woman_ policy, but somehow there is only woman he wants to see. And it is her.

She is still dating Bass. She helps Miles out in the bar. She has graduated from College and is on her way to a new job and a whole new fresh life. A new life that includes a new apartment that crossed her path by a lot of luck and some connections Miles has. Miles does not tell her on a daily basis or maybe almost never, but she knows she is cherished by her uncle.

Bass told her about the many phone calls Miles made to get this apartment for her a couple of days ago. And the fact that Miles did just that, made her realise how lucky she is to have so many supporting guys around her.

She is standing in a mostly empty living room with nice windows and a fireplace. Her love for a warm fire and the calming sounds of it, is something she shares with Bass and Miles. The apartment is small but so much better than her old one. Her mother hated her previous space and never visited that much. Charlie's muscles are tensed with whatever her mother could say about this new place. But then she relaxes and tells herself that is her place. Hers. Hers alone.

'Love the new place Charlie,' Danny's young voice is behind her as he moves in a box behind her. Today is moving in day. Danny puts the heavy box effortlessly on the ground and moves an arm around her. They look at her new space when they hear Bass and Miles whine something about a couch in the hallway of the apartment building.

Charlie smiles at him as she relaxes again. They look around together.

The floors are made of warm wood and the kitchen is tiny, but cosy. She is not the cooking type but there is plenty of space if she ever listens to her mother pleas of learning how to cook just one decent meal.

She smiles as she sees the take out menu from her favourite place put on the fridge with a tiny magnet. She suspects it could be her dad, Miles or even Bass. When she finds Miles winking at her, her dad smiling at her and Bass looking proudly at her, she realises it's all of them.

But then Rachel walks in and the three men storm away and get to work again.

Ben starts moving some more boxes with Danny. And Bass and Miles both continue with moving a couch into the room that was left alone at the door because the guys had to have some kind of strategically meeting of how to proceed to get it through the doorway.

She watches how Bass' strong arms get to work by grabbing the couch with Miles, lifting it from its space and move it into her living room.

'God dammit, Miles. My back...' Bass curses when Miles adjusts the couch in a way that makes the damn thing almost land on him.

'Hell Bass...' Miles snarls back over the couch and the couch slipping almost through his damn hands, ' you need a minute there or are we getting back to moving this damn thing? We _are_ kind of in the middle of something here?' Miles bitches back as he tries to balance the couch.

Charlie crosses her arms before her chest as she lifts an eyebrow as she is listens to all their whining with an amused smile.

Ben drops his box and moves over as fast as he can. 'Still the seven year olds I remember.' He says to Charlie when he passes her with a warm smile that is so much like her father.

' All right gentleman, I'm sure if you would focus on the couch instead of cursing at each other, things would go a lot easier.' Ben intervenes, with a warm smile and helping hands.

The three of them move the small couch to the place right in front of the fireplace Charlie tells them. Perfect for curling up in front of the fire with all the food she is ordering.

At the end of a long day, Miles walks past her with of the final boxes. 'God, you have a lot of crap, Charlie.'

Bass follows with another box. 'She is a woman dude, woman have a lot of shit.'

Miles drops the box into her bedroom as Bass follows him in there. There are some drawers left open with some of Charlie's underwear and some more chick things Miles does not want to see. The curse that escapes his mouth is heard through the whole apartment.

Miles looks at Bass and is realising two things. One, the dickhead is not moving and has seen the panties that belong to his niece. And two, he realises where he is standing with his _into the ladies_ brother and orders him out of her bedroom.

When Bass gives him his best innocent smirk, Miles loses his patience.

'Ah come on man, it's her bedroom, get the hell out Bass.'

Charlie has to look away to hide her smile and blush when both Bass and Miles walk out of her bedroom.

Later, Miles sits next to her on her couch. They ordered food and everyone is eating. Charlie looks at Miles.

She know she has two options. One includes messing with Miles and the fact he has not told her exactly how he got her this apartment and hard he worked to get her the apartment that is now her home.

The other includes thanking him with a smile and letting him help her with all the chores around here without her giving him a hard time, telling she does not heel help.

At the end of the day, not putting him into a situation where she knows Miles will feel too awkward is her way of thanking him. She gives him a cold beer and a fast hug and the warm tone in Miles' eyes tells her that her message of gratitude for her uncle and what he did for her was received. To not further piss him of she kept the conversation between her and Bass private for now.

'Anyone in the market for some cold beers?' Jeremy walks into the room all of sudden, followed by Bass.

'Jeremy,' Charlie gets up to greet him. Then she sees the huge bouquet of flowers he is carrying with him in all kinds of white and deep purple. They are pretty but in no way too girlish. They are perfect.

'Hey kiddo, thought I came over with some cold beer after all the hard work you have been doing without me,' he gives her the beers first, 'and well, these.' He hands her over the flowers with a warm smile.

'I like them, thank you.' Charlie grins, giving him a fast casual kiss on his cheek. Jeremy starts to apologize again for having to work. But Charlie won't hear it.

'You are here now with flowers and beer, don't worry about it.' Charlie walks over to her kitchen to finds something to put the flowers in.

Miles and Bass just drink their beer and roll their eyes at the gesture they wishes they had thought of. Well, Bass thought about it. Miles is not the flowery kind of guy.

And he hates Jeremy for being able to give her flowers in public and everyone cheering for him being an asshole. Because Jeremy knows if he would give her those, it would not go well with the rest of her family.

Jeremy moves over to Ben and Danny. He introduces himself. Both Danny and Ben shake his hand. It is not long before they are talking and getting to know each other, when Charlie nods at Danny across the living room, busy with her flowers.

'That is some scar,' Ben starts, eating his Chinese food as he points his hand with fork in it to the scar on Jeremy's cheek.

'Oh yeah, kind of gotten myself in trouble and into the ER there.' Jeremy laughs and sits down as Miles hands him a beer.

'Oh, which doctor did you see?' Ben asks, looking from Jeremy to his beer and back to him.

'Some British chick? Foster?' Jeremy gulps his beer. Ben nods. And then Danny asks if someone is still hungry as he starts to hand out more food before it is all gone. That is why Charlie misses the look on Ben's face at hearing her name, just like the rest of them.

'Charlie, who is he?' Rachel asks, looking from Jeremy to Bass and then to Ben, Danny and Miles, her eyes lingering a bit longer on him. They are all eating and talking. Charlie is moving the flowers into a glass jar as she turns to her mother.

'He is a friend mom.' Charlie answers her.

'You did not tell me about him?'

There is a message under that question that makes Charlie's muscles tense up at Rachel's voice. There is something in it that brings out everything that is hard between the both of them. Rachel means well, but somehow they have landed in this tense situation fast. It seems to happen more and more.

She watches her mother's eyes and feels so much hurt starting to catch up. Years of being strong, years of her mother putting so much time into Danny. Charlie finding her own way in time she had to colour in herself when her parents had been so busy with Danny.

'Mom, I have a life for myself now. Don't give me this.' Her voice is sharp. The living room silent as she feels all their eyes on her.

Rachel looks from Charlie to the kitchen counter next to her.

Rachel feels Charlie slipping away. She feels the force of being inadequate to be a mother for both of her children the way she should. Torn between a little boy who was sick already in her belly and the girl who had been strong and healthy through the years. And now her girl has graduated and is on her way to a job. Moving into this new apartment with new people Rachel does not know stopping by for her daughter make her feel like she is losing control. And her daughter.

'You grew up.' Rachel says softly and with tears in her eyes now, making Charlie roll her eyes for having to deal with emotions her mother should deal with herself, not putting on her shoulders.

When Miles walks into the argument to be there for Charlie, things become even more tensed. Ben intervenes, as he had moved both woman back into a place of more calm so very often.

Charlie feels her father's hand on her shoulder as he looks at Rachel. 'Rach, come on. She is making new friends, building her life. She is young, she should get to enjoy all of this.'

Rachel just moves her hands nervously together. A nervous twitch. She takes a breath in. She nods. 'I'm happy for you. Charlie. I really am.' She tries to grab Charlie's hand as a final effort to not lose her. To hold her. But Charlie pulls away her hand.

Charlie feels mortified that this is happening right in front of all of them. In front of Bass. In front of Jeremy. And hurt. And pissed. She finds Miles and Jeremy's eyes waiting for her. Bass' too. But she cannot look at them.

Without looking at them she walks away.

Danny finds her in the bedroom. He helps her open a box, seeing she is not truly unpacking the boxes. Just giving her hands something to do.

'You know she loves you Charlie.' Danny starts after a while. Knowing how heard things are between his mother and Charlie, hurt forming every time he watches them like that. Whishing it had been different. Knowing things would have been different maybe if he was not sick.

Charlie looks up at her brother who is there for her. 'We all love you.' Danny tells her with a softer voice. She smiles at him, for the way he is trying.

'I know.' She smiles softly back, a hand on his shoulder.

'This new place is really amazing Charlie.' Danny smiles.

'I know.' This time the smile is honest and genuine on her face. Danny and Charlie start to unpack together in familiar silence.

Later, when everyone leaves she feels more like herself again. She tells Jeremy again how much she loved the flowers. She rolls her eyes at Miles when he pulls her in for a hug. But she lets him hug her anyway. A fast kiss in her air. 'Enjoy your couch kid.' He winks at her.

Bass says goodbye with warm eyes and a promise he will be back later to celebrate her new bedroom. That and to make sure she is all right, because he hates the way Rachel is putting all her crap on Charlie' s shoulders. He had seen it happen with Miles and his dad, and he hates to see it happen again here. He wishes he could hold her now, but he knows she won't let him. So he tells her goodnight with a soft tone in his voice. That night at 2 am he will come back for her, and kiss her and passionate make love with her.

Charlie nods goodnight at her mother. Rachel doing the same. Danny hugs her and then it is her and her dad.

Ben hugs her, as Charlie moves into his arms. Her head into the crook of his neck.

Ben looks at her daughter. 'I am so proud of you Charlie. Look at my little girl in her new apartment in the city.' Ben says warmly.

'I love you, dad. You know that right?' Charlie answers his smile.

'I love you kid.' Ben tells her. 'With all my heart sweetie. With all my heart.' Ben kisses her temple. A last hug, before he steps and follows Danny outside. Both men smiling at her, waving at her one more time.

* * *

Charlie takes a deep breath in as she takes in the sounds of the forest around her, thinking back to the weeks behind her.

She thinks about a mother who still acts around her like Charlie is fragile, like she is still so much younger. She maybe does not realise it, but her mother keeps on giving Charlie the feeling over and over again she thinks she is not capable of living her own life. And after long years of worry about Danny and being the strong sister, Charlie feels like she had earned more than that.

There is a lot on her mind. So she came here, to the forest waiting for her. The brisk outdoor air filling her and calming her. She stands still, taking in every sound, sent and feel around her. And then she turns around.

'Come on, keep up. Or do you need a break?' Charlie smiles at Bass who is right behind her.

She likes to hike, he does too. Bass had used some really unfair strategic measures this morning to get her to agree to let him come with her.

Bass grins, keeping up with her with great ease. It is just that when she is in front of him, he gets to watch her ass and hips swinging with every step down the path in the forest. It is kind of the obscene good. But now he is looking at that wide grin of hers, he knows she has probably the same plan.

'God you are a bad at this Charlie. If you want me to walk in front of you so you can take a look at _my_ ass, knock yourself out.' He walks passed her, brushing her shoulder harder than he has to with his upper arm.

'You are delusional.' Charlie rolls her eyes at him.

Bass turns around, poking two fingers towards her. 'That is not what you told me last night.'

'You son of ...' She moves over to him to show him she is not taking his shit. But he is faster, taller and stronger and catches her and moves her against his chest and kisses her while he squeezes her ass.

Charlie shrieks to his delight and he kisses her hard and then some more. And then Charlie breaks herself free, teasing him with her eyes and starts to walk away from him.

God, he loves to watch her do that.

So they hike. Charlie had not talked about that moment with Rachel anymore. He had not asked. He wants to but he also does not want to push her. So they bicker a bit about taking directions. He makes the mistake of using his training to his advantage and telling her all about that and Charlie had just huffed something about ego.

They talk. Talk about more of how they are. Bass eventually asks about her life. Charlie is silent for a couple of seconds, making him feel like he made a mistake.

Charlie is not quiet because she does not want to answer Bass. She is quiet because he has no idea what that means to her. Someone paying attention to her for her.

So after being quiet she talks. About her life. About what is important to her. Away from her family, from the difficult relation with her mother, away from a past filled with sick brothers and hospitals. She talks about the past months and Bass looks at her. Never looking away.

The past few months have been good months, months where she is finally makings steps forward to her own life. Miles and him know all about how hard life has been for Charlie too. Not just for Ben, for Rachel. For Danny, born sick and living his life but always in the shadow of what could go wrong.

But for her too. To keep strong, find her way through life, it takes strength. And Bass has to swallow, because he does not think Charlie realises just how strong she is.

They talk. They do not talk. They just share a road. And Bass fastens his the pace of his boots in the sand, as he catches up with her so he can walk together with her. He throws a large arm around her shoulder. He is surprised and with a lightness in his heart that she does not push him away, but raises her hand instead as she laces her fingers through the fingers of his hand that gently falls over her shoulder.

* * *

 **Author's note Lemon, I hope you liked this chapter! There will be more soon... Thank you all or reading and taking the time to send me your reviews, they mean so much to me! Until the next chapter? Love from Love**


	3. Chapter 3

_The people who are there,_

Chapter three

It is a Wednesday night. It is a night with pizza and cool beer over at Jeremy's place. Jeremy likes to get his supplies in order. So, he takes his beer serious and is always busy stockpiling good beer.

Miles is running late but Charlie, Bass and Jeremy do not see that as a reason to delay warm pizza and cool beers.

They do not bother with getting plates either. Jeremy leans into his cooking island in the middle of his city apartment kitchen with a beer in his hand. Charlie sits on the kitchen counter as Bass is facing his friend, leaning into it next to her.

Bass does not bother to keep his hands away from Charlie. He does deny himself touching Charlie every now and then in the way he wants to in front of Jeremy. He is busy with his second slice of pizza as he watches Charlie eat her third and grin at him while tastefully and not so ladylike chewing on her pizza.

Bass cannot help but grin at her. Hell, she loves her food. They both do. Bass loves it about her, the way she actually eats and is not some girl he used to date that looked at him like he was delusional when he had asked her to get some pizza. He had spent the rest of the night looking at her, pouting over her salad and wishing the night had been fucking over.

She can be a little Mini Miles. But somehow she is also purely Charlie, and so much herself. She is authentic and real and fuck, he is falling so hard for her.

He reaches out with his hand and moves some tomato sauce away from the corner of Charlie's lips with the tips of his fingers that run smoothly from the corner of her mouth over to the rest of her lips. Charlie's tongue darts out and over her bottom lip to catch the soft sweet tomato sauce.

Charlie is enjoying her slice of pizza with her beer, the company of the guys and Bass' eyes that cannot look away from her when the touch of his hand still lingers on her lips even his fingers have already left her lips.

'God, you two are disgusting.' Jeremy says with a eyes that light up with some glee as Bass takes another sip from his beer and grabs another slice from the pizza box, with a painting in read of the Rialto bridge in Venice on top of it.

'Well, lucky for me this pizza isn't.' Charlie smirks at Jeremy and then she is wasting no more time as she puts her teeth into a slice with a nice crust, rich and yet soft tomato sauce, fresh basil and garlic.

Jeremy looks to the both of them. Bass and Charlie haven't told Miles about what is going on between the two of them and neither has he. The poor guy has not even got a clue.

It can only add up to disaster. But luckily for the two love birds in front of him, Miles sucks at math.

But Jeremy knows that this can only mean trouble for the future. Trouble he would hate to see happening. He likes Charlie. He likes her as a friend. He likes her around Bass. And he likes to see Bass when she is around. It is a good version from the both of them.

He knows there have been already some serious dents into Miles and Bass' strong brotherly bond. Bass and Miles had always found a way through work through their shit eventually.

They had moved past the shit storm that happened right after Emma. One night that had happened with Bass when she was still engaged to Miles. An unexpected pregnancy with Connor being born nine months later had drove both men almost apart.

He also knows that the situation with Rachel and Miles is pressing heavy at times on Miles' and Bass' friendship. Jeremy is not blind. He does see what is going on between Rachel and Miles. He already feels dread spread through his gut for what could happen when things are going to explode there.

Not only for Miles. Not just for Bass. But for Charlie too. He also sees how very much Bass hates to keep his mouth shut and how much he cares for Ben. He sees how torn Bass is between hating to see what is going on there and to keep on supporting his best friend.

So, he watches two people eating slices of pizza in his kitchen who are obviously falling for each other, and he knows they have to talk about this. They have to tell Miles. Especially now when whatever between his best friend and Charlie is growing, is becoming more serious.

Jeremy is slowly moved into a position between Miles and Bass and god, does he hate that.

But he loves his friends and owes them so very fucking much for what they have done for him and their friendship that is always there to fall back on. They will have to talk, but he also wants to give them time.

But here's the thing, he does not want whatever this is between Charlie and Bass to fall apart, not when it looks and feels as something honest and real to him. They are both free adults and they deserve all the happiness they can get. He does not want Miles to get pissed at Bass. He does not want a mess.

He also does not wants to push things. He has to talk to Bass. But not tonight. So for now, he also wants warm pizza and another cold beer. They make stupid jokes, and share a beer and a Wednesday night.

From the living room a phone rings. Charlie gets up, smiling at something Bass is telling Jeremy. Bass follows her with his eyes when she jumps of the kitchen counter. She looks at him with that smile that moves straight to his fucking cock and heart when she is walking out of the kitchen to grab her purse.

She is eating pizza and laughing. And on her way to her phone.

Bass takes a sip from his cool beer as he watches her leave the kitchen.

'Hey man, do you want another?' Jeremy asks, nodding to the almost empty bottle of beer in Bass' hand. Already on his way to the fridge.

'Is that even a question?' Bass grins at him.

'I guess not.' Jeremy grins back.

Jeremy is closing the door of the fridge and is about to hand over Bass his beer when there is an eerie silence in the other room. The phone has stopped ringing.

And then, they hear a scream of _no_ and a gasp that will follow them for the rest of their lives. The low sound turns into more eerie silence. They forget all about beer and pizza and rush over to Charlie.

Jeremy is with her first as Bass lost his fucking ability to move for a couple of seconds when he walks into the room. Charlie is still on the phone, nodding. She is looking pale and with shock and devastation in her wide blue eyes that almost knock Bass of his feet. He looks into her face and remembers Jeremy's face, many years ago. He remembers Miles' face after he learned his mother had passed away.

Something starts to scream inside of him. _No...no..._

He watches how Charlie moves a hand towards her mouth. Nothing comes out. Tears are close. And she slowly drops her other hand with the phone still in it. She starts to wave on her feet. Jeremy has reached her.

'Charlie..' his voice is strong and yet gentle. He is trying to tilt his head to get to her level and to make some kind of eye contact with her. 'Charlie, can you tell us what is wrong?'

He looks from Charlie to Bass, and back to her again. Bass moves over to the both of them.

Bass hears a voice coming from the other side of the line. He watches Charlie with his mouth open and his eyes in shock for her. Her blue eyes dazed and filled with grey being so far away. She just stands there, next to a small standing next to his Jeremy's couch. She does not speak, she does not respond.

And then, her fingers let go of the phone as it drops to the floor with a shattering silence.

* * *

Ben Matheson is gone. One accident with a robbery in a store in Chicago later, and his story has ended. He had gone to Chicago for a couple of days, where he had and old friend from college, Aaron Pittman. A bullet had found his chest at an angle where no one had been able to do anything for him.

One week later they are all in Jasper to say goodbye. Jeremy and Bass are trying to do all they can do keep Miles and Charlie on their feet. As Miles and Charlie try to do anything to keep Rachel and Danny on theirs.

Benches and flowers. Ben not there anymore. Wonderful words of how much he will be missed in church . And then, it is her turn to get up. Charlie straightens her back. She is scared. She is trembling. But she is her father's daughter and her gentle strength and strong stubbornness make her walk to the front of the church in high heels and a little black dress she vows she will never ever wear after this day again.

Bass watches her courage. And his eyes start to fill with warm heavy tears. He feels Connor's hand on his right shoulder. Connor is sitting right behind him, next to Emma. He has flown in from Mexico, where he is studying violence in drug cartels for his college degree. The moment Bass called him and told him what happened in a raspy broken voice, Connor had taken the first flight out in a heartbeat.

He feels the warmth of his kid's hand burning through the jacket of his suit, and he is grateful for the young man with his heart in the right place and a broad understanding of what goes on in people.

From a very early age, Connor has been observing the world around him. Seeing and watching what was going on around him with dark curls and big eyes. And even though he and Emma had never made it as a couple, they had raised him together.

Even after her parents had tried to keep him away and convince Emma to give Connor up for adoption, Bass had fought for his kid. Ben had fought with him, sitting right next to him in the living room of Emma's folks talking to them. Emma had been looking scared and lost at him, Bass' eyes on her belly and the life they had made. Connor was born with two parents wanting to make it work. Not as a couple, but as parents there for him.

It is a memory of kindness and looking at the story with every side and warmth, a memory of the man who Ben is, that makes Bass have to press his lips together to not let tears fall. Ben helped him to give him a chance to raise Connor into a kid that made Bass' heart fill with pride.

Today, he does not have to look back to know Connor is there. He looks to his shoes on the floor in front of him and flexes his jaws, to regain come control. One of his hand fiddling with the other in his lap.

Jeremy is sitting right next to him on his right, as Bass is sitting next to Miles. And then, he pushes back tears as he takes a deep breath. And his eyes are all on her again.

Charlie feels almost overwhelmed as she is now standing next to her father and in front of the church. As Bass nods at her with an almost invisible nod from his eyes and giving him strength with just looking at her.

Charlie's voice is broken but still somehow strangely clear as she trembles through her first words.

But then she is realising she is talking to her father, and fear moves away. She starts to talk about her dad, about her years she got to have with him.

'You taught me to never look away when things get hard. To stand next to people in good days, to stand right next to them on the impossible days.'

The church is silent as her words stream through it, and light falls into the church through the windows all around her. Tears almost overwhelm her again but she keeps on speaking. It is like Ben Matheson is standing right in the doorway of the church, with his gentle smile on her. _You can do this sweetheart. S_ he scrapes her throat.

' We had many years together dad. There cannot be enough years and time to share together, but I am grateful for the time you were there. You taught me how to be brave. To be loyal. To fight and stand up for what is important. Today I say goodbye to you and take my first step out there on the road. But not alone. Your values, your dreams and hopes for me are the things I will always carry with me , dad.'

And then, all of a sudden she sees his face. So clear. Smiling. A nod with love in her father's eyes for her. It is almost bringing her down her knees and then gives her a sigh of peace, like he is there, just for a couple of seconds. Making her hands move into fists and tears too close. She looks up and finds Danny. And her mom. Miles. Jeremy. Bass. Four man looking at her.

She walks down three small steps as she walks to the coffin, pressing a kiss on her slender fingers before she puts it to the warm wood in front of her. Her voice so soft he can only hear her.

'Goodbye Daddy.'

* * *

Bass feels the shift in Miles as he feels Miles' break a little bit more with every single of Charlie's words. Miles is staring in front of him with big grieve filled eyes.

Charlie has returned to her place with them and Jeremy squeezes her hand quickly as she walks past him and sits back next to Danny and Rachel. Charlie does not turn around. But she knows, her family, _Bass_ , they are all there with her.

And when it is time to carry Ben outside and say goodbye one more time, Miles falls apart completely. The sound coming from his throat is one of a man holding back tears. But he is still crying. Bass grabs him at his shoulders, pulling him close.

His brother had been strong all week, from the moment Bass had walked over to the bar to tell him the news himself. Jeremy had stayed with Charlie, helping her through every range of emotions that came after the phone call from Rachel. Bass had walked into the bar. Miles was not going to hear this news from no other person than him. One look, one look from Miles to Bass as he had walked in and Miles had known. He had not cried. Not yet. But in church as Charlie talked about her dad in front of their family and friends, Miles had not been able to keep the tears in for his brother. Watching Charlie press a kiss through her fingers on the wood of the coffin, broke his heart.

Miles feels Bass, Bass feels Miles. And Bass gives him strength to do this for Ben. Bass finds his eyes as both men stand face to face. Remember each other of how far life took them and how much they can get through it. Like they had done so many times. Together. For the people they will fight for, the people they love. And together with their family, both Bass and Miles carry Ben outside with respect and grace into their steps, into the pale sunshine that spreads to Jasper and over family and friends saying goodbye.

* * *

Bass is watching a Charlie who is taking care of everyone but her. There are drinks and food in the house where Miles and Ben grew up. It is still in the family. Her face is washed over with grieve, the lines of her chin and jaw are sharp and her cheekbones look too sharp for her face somehow. She is moving through the living room. Shaking hands, refilling glasses.

He knows she has been drinking. He knows she has not eaten a damn thing. He also knows they cannot make her eat. Not her. It is a late afternoon and hours after a farewell that is filling them all with grieve and longing to go back into the past to better times.

He is watching a Miles filled with guilt the way his glass is filled with too much whiskey. Benjamin. Ben. His brother. Their brother. He had stood next to Miles, with an arm around Charlie at the cemetery as she cried in his shirt. Wanting him and only him there. Bass watched how Miles had held her, a large hand wrapped around her head. Telling her he was not going anywhere. She had sobbed with heartbreak as Miles stood tall for her.

Later, Bass had given Miles some space. Miles had stood in front of the fresh grave. 'Goodbye Benjamin.' It had been a broken voice. His dark eyes had flooded with tears and he stood there with hollow eyes. Bass and Jeremy had been waiting for him until he was ready. Danny and Charlie with their arms around each near too. Eventually Miles had walked slowly and slow steps and shoulders hanging low to them.

Bass drinks his whiskey. The house is already too silent. Charlie has not talked to him, but he just hopes she knows he is here. For her.

He sees Rachel standing in the kitchen, her eyes lost and filled with grieve too. He walks over to her.

'Rach, I am so sorry.' He starts.

'Thank you Bass.' Her voice is low and filled with distanced hurt.

His eyes find Charlie in the room. He watches Charlie and he has been keeping his mouth shut for the biggest part of this week from hell but he has to try. He is not the one to just keep his mouth shut when he sees other people struggling.

Just because Charlie is the strong one, does not mean people should look away from her. Just because she is the strong one does not mean people should just assume she does not need everything a person needs on a day like this. Bass knows Charlie needs her mother, even though it is hard for her to put that into words.

Bass looks at Rachel again. 'Rachel, I think you should really try to talk to Charlie...she is...'

Rachel looks up at him, now pissed. Pissed because she feels all of it and it has nowhere to go but to turn into anger. She feels the goodbye to Ben, sees her son, feels Miles around and all their shared guilt for an ugly fling behind Ben's back. And then, her eyes find Charlie and she sees the struggle in her little girl.

Bass knows she is lashing out because of the fatigue and grieve.

'Stay out of this Bass.'

Bass bites the inside of his cheek as he sighs harshly. Fuck, he knows this is not the time and place but he hates to see Charlie drown. He knows she is grieving. Rachel turns away from him with a kitchen towel in her hands, turning towards the kitchen sink.

'Rachel come on, you do seem to have the time to grieve with Miles huh.' The implications and meaning behind those words sharp as a knife, a bite in his words he is not able to keep out of them.

Rachel looks like she is going to slap him. Both of them do not know what to say.

It is out there, a harsh line, filled with truth nevertheless. Rachel looks at him, and throws him a cold look. She knows Bass is right. That she is failing here as a mother, but things are overwhelming and making her unable to reach out to Charlie now. She feels that truth in her heart.

She hates to share Miles with Bass, always feeling inadequate to match the bond Miles is sharing with Bass. But she knows that right now, Bass has his heart on the right place. And that he is right. It does not make it any easier though.

Bass curses something, old hurt and new frustrations coming through on a day it should not. He hates this ugly secret between Rachel and Miles, but he is not the kind of man that would talk about this. Not today. He is better than that.

Rachel knows Bass is right, but she is barely standing on her feet. Bass just nods at her as he nods at Bass, as both of them go on with this hell of a day.

* * *

He throws back his whiskey and lets the alcohol burn in the back of his throat as he decides he needs another. Finally finding a place on a chair near some old friends he used to know from high school, his arms on his thighs, the glass of whiskey in his hands. Watching Charlie, waiting. Waiting until she is ready.

Charlie smiles at the people around her that came to pay their respect. Her smile does not feel like a smile. It is hollow. Her blue eyes burn with red lines around them in her face filled with missing and love for a father that had been the warm steady neck she could bury her head in to cry when the world outside was too much.

Ben had always wanted to protect her. For everything that lay waiting outside. He wanted his daughter to grow into the woman she became. But Ben knew what could waiting out there as he never stopped being the overprotective father to his girl. Charlie had wanted to live, to explore, to see, to go, to feel, to live. Seeing too much hospitals when she was young and her brother so sick made her even long for more freedom. She had fought Ben many times on this.

Right now Charlie remembers those fights. And all Charlie wishes right now is that he was right here for one of those fights.

She will never get to fight her dad. And then she something breaks inside of her, as she watches the living room like it is not real and all she wants to do know is walk away and find a dark corner and never come back. She slips away quietly. She walks up the stairs.

And she does not stop before she has reached Ben's old room.

* * *

Jeremy has followed her upstairs. Charlie is sitting on a small bed in a room upstairs. He crouches down in front of her. 'Hey kid.' He tries to reach her, but she is so far away. He pulls her in for a slow gentle hug as he caresses her back. He feels the skin on her arms and how cold she is.

Jeremy looks around him. He finds a quilt that smells of home or at least how home should smell like. He places it gently around her, taking his time. He knows this kind of darkness, this grieve, this hurt. And he also knows she needs the right person to help her through. And that, is not something one can force. It just is there, a connection that is real and honest and the one thing that can get her through this night now grieve has found her.

'I will get Bass for you okay?' Charlie does not react, but Jeremy still knows it is what and who she needs now.

* * *

Bass is talking to some folks he knows from years before. Emma nodded at him from across the room and Connor has walked over to give him some food.

'You need to eat dad.' Connor tries. He has watched his dad. Bass looks up at him and just nods.

'Thanks kid.'

And as Connor sits down next to him, Bass talks to his old friend and former teachers as they have walked over to pay their respect. Jeremy walks into the room and connects eyes with him with a short nod.

'Excuse me,' Bass says when he gets up from his chair and walks over to Jeremy. Connor takes his plate.

They meet in a corner near the kitchen.

'Hey man, sorry to interrupt. But Charlie, she finally...' Jeremy has to take a moment, as he remembers how it feels to realise people won't come back. 'She is in a bad shape Bass. I tried to comfort her but...'

He watches pain in Bass' eyes. Bass puts his drink on the table next to him.

Jeremy continues. 'But I think she wants you man.'

Bass cannot look at Jeremy as hurt for Charlie's hurt and his own grieve for Ben almost floor him. He flexes his jaws and presses his lips together. And then he tells himself to get a fucking grip. He looks at Jeremy.

'Thanks Jeremy.' Bass nods with gratitude as Jeremy slaps him to encourage him on his shoulder.

'Take your time, I will take care of everything here.'

* * *

Bass walks up the stairs. He knows this house so very well. He finds the door to the spare bedroom. He hears her sobs before he sees her. Her mascara has run down her from her eyelashes, creating clouds of misery of black under her eyes. She is crying, her whole body is shocking.

'Shit...Charlie...' he mutters, his own heart breaking for her. All over again.

And then he does not think anymore. He just moves over to her, as Charlie reaches out with both her hands to grab his shirt and level herself into his arms. He moves her so he is holding her on the small bed. Her whole body is rocking with grieve that has finally found a way through the wall she has been so carefully keeping up.

'It's okay to let go now sweetheart.' Bass' voice is low while his arms circle around her.

She cries. Heartbreaking tears. Her dad will never be there to love her, to comfort her, to laugh with her, to balance her and her mother, to hold her, there for her to bury her nose into his neck and let him hold her when she needs him, when she has to come home.

Maybe it his low gruff voice. Maybe it is his strength radiating through blue eyes. Or maybe it is the gentleness in his arms moving around her. Maybe it is his smell, manly and warm and whiskey and leather. Maybe it is the scent of whiskey that is so much of Miles and Ben too, that finally breaks her.

She cries, shaking in his arms as he is not letting her go. Charlie feels how is just sitting with her in a silent room when he feels she finally truly feels it.

Her dad is gone.

He rocks her in his arms. It is getting dark. He moves her further into the blanket that had been around her as he had walked inside the room as he feels she is falling asleep. He wants to wrap her in his arms. But he knows her. He knows Miles. He knows not to push, not to overwhelm her now. To be here anyway, but give her space.

So he grabs a chair, moves it next to her bed an her almost sleeping now on it and watches her fall asleep. He has no idea how late it is but he does not care.

And there in the middle of the night he makes a silent vow to Ben, to take care of her. Because she is family, and you never ever leave family behind. So he sits, watches her and takes her through this night by just being with her. He will sit here, watch her sleep and make sure she gets through this one night.

The next morning makes her wake up in a small bed that has been there as long as she can remember. And with Bass in a chair next to her. His arm is close to hers, her hands lightly touching his. He is already awake.

Her eyes find his. He helps her sit up and gives her a glass of water. Her fingers are shaking when she is taking the glass from him.

'Drink. You need to flush all that alcohol out of your system.'

Bass looks at a broken Charlie. The house is silent, the morning early and he hears and remembers at the same time all these sounds coming from the town outside that is slowly waking up. His home for so long. This room, Ben's old room' in his memory too for all the times he stayed over in Miles' room and they had trespassed into Ben's room to find all kinds of cool stuff.

He bets he can still find he can find the cigarette burn behind Ben's closet when Miles and himself had tried smoking for the first time, finding some of Ben's cigarettes. They had almost put the damn house on fire. He still sees Ben's eyes in front of him, pissed at them for sneaking into his room.

He promises to tell Charlie as much as he can about her dad, about Ben and all the memories shared when she is ready to hear them.

Bass tells himself she will be all right. She has to. They will make sure of that. _He_ will make sure Charlie will be all right.

Bass moves further through his knees next to her. He brushes some hair away from her cheeks that are sticky with sweat, exhaustion and tears.

'I am taking you home to Philly in a couple of days Charlie. You are staying with me.'

'But my mom, Danny...' Charlie starts, her voice raw and barely audible.

'Danny has your mom and his friends. Emma promised to check in on them and Connor has taken the rest of the week of to spend a lot of time with Danny.'

Connor had offered to stay around Danny and Miles for a couple of days. Emma had promised to make sure there was food. The rest of their small town community doing their best too. He really believes that Danny spending time with Connor, a guy almost around his age could do him some good.

Bass sighs, needing to take a deep breath as he swallows to get some tension out of the way to not sound too bitter or harsh when he speaks again. 'And Miles, he will take care of your mom. Wherever she is, he is anyway these days.'

Miles had already told him with a nod in the middle of the night when he came to check up on Charlie and Bass, it was all right. That he was happy he was there, now he felt torn between being there for Charlie and Rachel, torn between being there for the woman around him and being stuck his own grieve. He had nodded at Bass with hollow eyes and had grabbed a blanket to put around Bass' shoulders around 3 am. Both men had not talked. They did not have too.

Charlie stares at him with flat eyes. 'Bass, I...'

He nudges her shoulder with his fingers. A warm smile falls over his face, it is a pale one, all that he can master now. He moves in front of her, being face to face with her as he gently looks at her. His hands now on her upper arms.

'What makes you think you have a choice?' His voice is low and raspy from the lack of sleep.

He watches Charlie's eyes light up for the smallest of moments and it is comforting and reassuring at the same time, knowing she is so fucking strong that even know in this miserable week a part of her is still shining through.

She will be all right. They will make sure of that.

He will make sure of that.

* * *

 **Authors Note I know, this chapter was a really hard one to read but also for me to write. There were many emotions, hard moments of goodbye but also the support and the love from the people around. This AU story brushed the canon story with losing Ben. But I felt that life,** _ **their**_ **lives can also be hard and rocky. But this story is always about the people who are there. In next chapter we make a little jump in time. Lemon, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you so much for reading to all of you, I hope to meet you for the next chapter? Love from Love**


	4. Chapter 4

The people who are there

4.

Bass sat next to her, the whole plane ride home. She was silently sitting next to him. When the engines roared and they took off, he watched the tears streaming down her face.

He drove her back to his place.

She walked through his front door and walked straight to his bed. Not bother to undress, she moved deep under his soft duvet. She felt how Bass removed her shoes. But then she just wanted him to close the curtains as she let her head move into the heavy softness of his pillows.

* * *

Charlie slept for three days. She stayed in his bed. He stayed around. Keeping in touch with Miles. Telling him how she was doing. Reassuring him that he was there. Getting texts from Connor, telling him how Danny and Miles were doing. Jeremy coming over to bring food and keep him company. Him sleeping next to her.

And finally on day four Charlie moves deeper under his blankets and towards him. It is still early but she needs to seek out for him. Bass' warm body is there for her to find right next to her.

His chest is warm, his chest bare now he is only wearing black boxers. His legs are close to hers, she touches them with her feet. And he is warm comfort, a wall of human next to her. Waiting for her. Moving her heart in ways it had never been woken up. Bass moves his arms so she can move into the space right under it and slowly move against his body. Her cheek on his chest. His kiss in her hair.

They just lay like that. Bass holding her, Charlie just letting herself being wrapped against his chest and into his arms. And then, through hurt and grieve she feels the need to be taken care of in different waves. She slowly tilts her head. Bass is watching her, feeling the shift in her body.

He looks at her with his lips pressed together. She pushes herself closer to him, using her feet to push herself further up towards his lips.

For the first time in this whole mess of the past few weeks, Charlie kisses him again with passion she remembers is still there. She is still there, tucked in grieve. Feeling something else for the first time. It is still pale and small, but nevertheless there. A small spark of hope.

Bass is tentatively brushing her cheek. Feeling the change in her. Needing her, wanting to give everything to her she wants.

But she has gone through so much, he does not want to take advantage of her, because he feels this deep need to be with her. She comes first now.

But then she moves closer, looking in his eyes. Her movements are of a woman taking her time, and with yearning for him. He lifts her into his arms, kissing her slowly and carefully. He moves them both, so she is laying on the mattress and he is shielding her with his body hovering over hers. His chest connecting with her breasts. They touch. They find the other. Charlie closes her eyes and opens them again, wanting to see him. To feel him.

He makes sure she is ready, and taken care of before he moves his body over hers completely. Their bodies connecting. She feels him everywhere and deep inside of her as he moves inside of her with a gentle but yet needing thrust. He tries to hold himself back but there is still a small deep grunt escaping from his lips. She finds herself wanting more. She wraps herself around Bass as he wraps himself around her, taking her slender body in his arms.

And they make love that morning, carefully taking care of the other as Bass kisses and thrusts grieve away for one moment there, that morning.

* * *

Slowly, life moves on. Charlie talks a lot to Danny. She asks him to spend a lot of time at her place. Needing him away from the deep grieve of her mom breaking down. Charlie sees it happening right in front of her eyes, she is slowly slipping. Charlie feels the need to protect her little brother but she is also not able to spend a lot of time around Rachel herself.

He comes to her apartment and they just sit down to talk. To remember. To cry. She tries to connect with her mom, but is his hard. They are grieving both in their own way and are trying to be there for the other. But the tension is there, making it very difficult. Making Charlie miss her dad even more in the middle of missing him. Wishing he was here to make her mother see the things Charlie cannot make her see.

She talks a lot to Miles, although there is something in his eyes that is hollow and hard for her to watch. He is drinking a lot, moving a bit further away from her now Bass is moving closer to her.

The times when she does visit her mom, he is there more often. There are looks and touches, that Charlie sees but they think she doesn't. There is guilt in Miles he tries to hide, but he doesn't. And then there are her mother's eyes who look away from her, when Charlie looks at her. Rachel knows she should make an effort to get up again not look away, but she doesn't. She can't.

Jeremy somehow feels what she needs. He gives her space and is there for her at the same time. A phone call, a visit late at night when the night is there for her to sadden her even more. Bringing her flowers, just to piss Bass of. Charlie loves them anyway. There are always flowers on her table nowadays. And when she looks at Jeremy, a part of her tells her that misery knows misery. She is happy he is there.

One night her doorbell rings. And when she buzzes them both him, she finds Bass and Jeremy at her front door with screwdrivers and other tools men seem to love like beer. The proud look on their faces make her smile at both of them. The walk in, taking over to place like they own the damn place. And because they are just both so very cute that way, Charlie lets them. They start to shout orders to her and to the other, like they never do anything else. Charlie rolls her eyes a couple of times at them, but she cannot really get pissed. Not at her guys.

They came over to help her with everything that still needed to be done. Things Ben had wanted to help her with. They are here now to finish these things for Ben. Lamps need to find a place. Pictures need a place on the wall. Shelves need a place on the wall too.

She finds her heart warmed up by them. And then the doorbell is ringing again. Charlie smiles at Bass and the way his muscles move when he is busy adjusting a shelf with Jeremy before she answers the door.

She looks into eyes she knows so well and a set of relatively new ones.

'Danny' She says happily. Danny steps forward to hug her sister. 'I did not know you were coming over?'

Danny lets a bag with his stuff for the next couple of days crash on her hallway floor.

'That was kind of the point.' Connor grins, his own bag over his shoulder.

Charlie looks from her brother to Connor. Danny told her on the phone that he had found a new friend in Connor. She is happy for them. Danny has a good touch for picking good friends. Connor smiles at her with friendly dark eyes and dark curls.

'Hi, I'm Connor, we have met in Jasper.' He extends his arm to shake her hand. His other hand is in the pocket of his jeans.

He watches a cloud falling over her face and his eyes soften.

'Yeah, I remember,' she smiles, 'Hi, I am Charlie.'

'I know,' Connor grins.

'You know?' Charlie says, nodding her head at him to come in before she closes her front door.

'Yeah, you are the woman who makes my dad smile a hell of a lot more.' Connor smiles at her. Charlie has no choice but to smile back and blush a little. She likes Connor immediately. He is kind, has a good grin and realised how hard it was for her to hear about that week in Jasper, just seconds ago. But he had not pushed her, just acknowledged her grieve with a gentleness in his eyes and gave her room to breathe. He is a lot like his dad.

They walk into her living room before she stops him.

'Hey Connor, thanks for being there for Danny.'

'Not a problem. Things at home have been...' Connor looks for the right choice of words, not wanting to do any more damage with his words. '..intense with your mom grieving too.'

He hates to see those bright eyes fall with worry for her mother.

She nods at him, her heart a bit lighter for Connor who seems to understand how hard things are at this moment, with grieve and difficult relationships with mothers and uncles, and is still looking out for Danny.

Connor looks at her and Danny, and remembers Rachel. Charlie's mom could not be further from this strong young woman in front of him. He is remembering Rachel with Miles when he picked Danny up at home. And he is grateful for the warm woman raising him, putting him first, although things are not easy between her and his dad. He knows there is a past, but he also knows they try their best, for him. It they hadn't, his life might have looked differently.

Charlie and Connor follow Danny into the living room.

'Connor, I did not know you would be joining us. Come here kid,' Bass pulls him into a hug.

'Yeah, we thought we could use a little break from tequila and the senoritas over in Mexico.'

Danny smiles with bright eyes. Connor had taken him to Mexico for a couple of days. Showing where he worked, did his research and they had hit a few bars.

'Good to see you too dad.' Connor grins at his father and pats him on the back.

'Couple of big pussies, those Monroe men.' Jeremy smiles at Charlie when is shaking his head, his hand around a beer. 'Now who wants a beer?'

They sit down, talking, drinking. Jeremy looks with a serious face to both Danny and Connor. 'So, tell me all about those senoritas gentleman.'

With all the guys coming over, with Danny and Connor and cool beers, Charlie is having some kind of fun she almost forgot she could have.

It is when everyone agrees they are hungry and need food when Charlie walks over to her phone to order the food. Her kitchen is still not used for cooking and she doubts it that will ever change. Her eyes fall on the menu on the fridge. And she remembers the way her Dad had smiled with Miles and Bass when he had looked at her the moment she found that menu there on her moving in day.

She feels tears pool in her eyes. Bass is there, she had not even heard him walking towards her. His hand is on her back. He gives her all the time she needs. Nobody talks. A small kiss is placed in her hair. Nobody forces her to move on until she is ready.

Then she blinks and looks at Bass. And Jeremy. And Danny, sitting with Connor on her couch 'All right then. Food it is.'

* * *

 _Two weeks later_

Maybe it is the grieve.

Maybe it is the fact that things will never be the same.

Maybe it is their past.

Maybe it is Miles' stubbornness and Bass never being able to take Miles' shit and accusations when it comes to how Bass feels about family and the people close to his heart.

But it happens. It happens one night a couple of weeks later. Miles has spent a lot of time with Rachel but they finally have some kind of boy's weekend. Beer, catching up. Bull shitting around. Miles spills beer over his shirt when they are watching sport on TV. Bass grins at Miles who is cursing as he gets up from the couch. He walks over to Bass' bedroom to grab and borrow a shirt out of Bass' closet.

Bass is watching the game, drinking his beer.

'What the hell...' Miles' voice is hesitant at first and as Bass looks up from his beer with his lips still on the way to the bottle for more.

Bass is sitting in front of his TV but he is not hearing a damn word of what is going on,on the screen. His brain has just registered something is very much the hell wrong when Miles storms into the room with a silver necklace in his hand. It is a slender necklace. And it is Charlie's.

'What in the hell is my niece's necklace doing next to your bed, Bass?'

Bass puts away his beer, cursing at himself. 'Dammit.'

'Miles, let me explain...we...'

Miles face is building with rage at how Bass is talking to him, the necklace still in hand. He throws it on the table in front of him.

'We?' His voice holds a contained dangerous kind of threat.

'We were going to tell you, but then...everything changed and..' Bass' mind and heart are racing at the same speed for how quick things are escalating between the both of them.

'You were going to tell me what Bass? That you are banging my niece?'

'Hey, do not talk about her like that.' Bass' voice booms through his living room, utter rage now forming in his knuckles and veins for anyone talking about her like that. Even when it comes from the moron standing in front of him.

'It is not like that Miles. She really means something to me.'

Miles takes another step towards Bass.

'She really means something to you Like Nora meant something to you when you went after he knowing how I felt about her?'

Bass and Miles are facing of, face to face, heart to heart. Miles knows he is being an ass, but hurt from the past hurt for Nora, and grieve for Benjamin, and seeing Rachel slip away and what the hell is happening between her and him these days all make him combust right there.

Bass lets out a deep breath. Fuck he still regrets what he did there. The betrayal to Miles. HIm getting Nora into his bed when he was so drunk. But this, this has got nothing to do with that. He is free, Charlie is free. They are both adults who met and fell for the other.

'Oh Come on man, you know this is nothing like that.' Bass tries to calm his brother down. He knows all about Miles' temper and he is willing to give this conversation a real change. That is until Miles' anger gets the better of him.

'Oh so you are telling me you actually care about her, Bass?' And it is the sarcasm in Miles' words that enrages Bass.

'Don't you fucking dare to talk to me about caring about people. About love. Because Miles, I know you. I know Rachel. I know about your dirty little secret. Do not tell me in my own damn house what I can or cannot feel for Charlie. Not when you are banging Rachel, huh.' Bass spits out the words in anger, his blue eyes darker with rage.

It is the moment Miles considers ramming his fist into Bass' face.

'Stop it!' it is also the moment Charlie scream moves through the room in an icy strong yell.

They both turn her way. Miles looks completely lost when she walks into the living room, a spare key Bass gave her for emergencies in her hand. Her face is shocked. And Bass. Bass' eyes fill with shock for knowing she has just heard what he has said. And she probably knows what has been going on, but he had never ever in the history of ever wanted her to find out like this.

Charlie looks at Bass. Trying to process what he just told her about Miles and her mother. Then she looks up at Miles who cannot meet her eyes.

'You and my mom?' Charlie says slowly, looking confused and trying to wrap her head around this. Her voice is soft. Lost.

'Kid...'

Bass sees it happening right in front of him, the moment Charlie steps into her strength and the wall around her is getting taller with every second.

'Do not call me a kid.' She warns Miles. 'The both of you are going to stop right now.' She breathes in, shaking her head until she has the focus to tell them both what she has to tell them.

She heard their voices , the shouting, the biting anger outside. They did not even hear her ring the doorbell. So she let herself in, afraid for what she could walk in. The reality is even more terrifying and hurtful.

She is watching two brothers going at each other's throat. And her heart broke for every second she had to watch this.

'We were going to tell you, Miles. I care for him. He cares for me. And if you do not like that, I am very sorry but it is not going to be any differently. This is my life, my heart. And you get to care for me, but you do not get to have a say when it comes to my own heart and choices.'

Miles looks at Charlie, already feeling a stupid asshole for what how he talked about her. His regret is hitting rock bottom fast. Bass heart can breathe again when he hears Charlie's words.

But then she looks at him.

'I cannot do this...I cannot be the one who gets between you again. I know things with Nora almost drove the both of you apart. And I cannot have any part in that. You both mean too much for me.'

'Charlie, don't do this.' Miles tries, watching Bass and Charlie. The necklace on the table. His brother lost in wide blue eyes with tears in them.

'Stop Miles. I know about Nora . I know how hard things were after that. And I cannot be the one responsible for more hurt between you. I just can't.'

The finality in her words break Bass. The defeat in her shoulders break Miles.

Charlie takes a step back. Bass follows her into his hall way. 'Charlie...hey, wait...'

When she turns around she is not even angry. Fuck, he could handle angry Charlie. But calm contained hurt Charlie is something that is like taking a punch in his gut.

'You knew? About my mom and Miles? Going behind my dad's back?'

Bass swallows. 'Yes, I knew, I just did not want to see you hurt.'

'So you kept it from me?' Charlie's voice is going to higher level with anger as she pushes her face in a straight line.

Bass watching her face change takes away every hope he had that he can talk her out of this.

Bass looks at her, tears forming in his eyes, as he presses his jaws together. He has no answer. She already knows.

It is at that point Jeremy appears in front of the open door. He looks from Miles to Bass.

'Shit...' He mutters. And then he watches Charlie. Anger, but with tears in her eyes.

Bass and Charlie look at each other and then Charlie turns away from him. He watches how she gently places his key to his home, and _dammit, to his heart_ , on the small table in the hallway. It is the moment tears start to threaten over his damn cheeks. And then, she walks around Jeremy and softly closes it.

He yanks the door open. 'Charlie wait...' Bass tries. She stops but does not turn.

'You cannot drive, not like this.' Bass is almost begging her.

'I will drive her home man.' Jeremy nods, as he looks from Miles to Bass and back to Charlie. Bass watches his best friend with Charlie, slowly walking through the hallway of his apartment building. At least he knows Jeremy will take of her.

'Bass...I am...' Miles tries.

'Get out.' Bass sounds defeated.

'Come on man...I...'

'Get the hell out now.' Bass almost yells at him. His voice a deep booming warning through the room to not push it. Bass does not know if he can contain his rage any second longer, if Miles stays around.

Two minutes later he stands in his living room. Alone. Wondering what the fuck went wrong. Two bottles of unfinished beer on his damn table. Miles' shirt on his bed. And Charlie's necklace on his dinner table.

* * *

Later Jeremy finds him with a bottle of whiskey in his hand on the couch of his apartment. He had talked to Miles on the phone who filled him in on this whole mess.

'She is home safely man.'

'Thanks.' Bass' voice is almost too low to hear, and he is not looking at Jeremy.

It is dark, but he has not even bothered to put some lights on. It is just him, a bottle of whiskey and another mess with Miles.

Jeremy does not talk as he puts his car keys on the lower wooden table in front of his couch. He sits down next to Bass. Watching the bottle he knows Bass has brught out the big guns.

'Give me the bottle.'

Bass looks at him with a frown.

'You are not drinking alone man.'

Bass hands Jeremy the bottle, his arms on his legs. His eyes empty. Rage still there. But most of all hurt. For what he kept from Charlie. For her face, for her refusing to come in between Miles and Bass. Fuck, this is a mess.

'Shit...' Jeremy says next to Bass. He hands Bass over the bottle. Bass just nods to Jeremy as he takes another swig of burning nothingness.

* * *

 _Ten months later_

Charlie is hiking. There is a lot on her mind. So she came here, to the forest waiting for her. The brisk outdoor air filling her and calming her. She stands still, taking in every sound, sent and feel around her. And then she almost turns around. But she knows she will not find the eyes that she hopes to find right behind her. No arm waiting to throw over her shoulder. No teasing from his lips. No leather jacket. No scruff. No making love in his bed later to warm up when he bitches about her cold hand under his shirt, but still warming them with his gentle kisses and warm breath.

She listens to the forest, walking faster to outrun thoughts of him.

So she walks. Alone.

She hikes a lot these days. It is her way of standing on her feet. The past months have been filled with settling into her life in her apartment, with seeing Danny, or sometimes talking to her mom. Filled with talking to Jeremy who still checks up on her. Filled with not hearing from Miles. Filled with missing him. And filled with the aching hole in her heart of not being able to make love with Bass.

But she is also still grieving her dad and all the ways she never gets to be his daughter again. And she sees no way out for her and Bass. For her and Miles. This is her road now. Alone.

So she walks alone.

It is on one of these walks she is walking towards a stream in the forest, needing the water to cool herself down. And it is there, with a water bottle in her hand, that she meets him for the first time.

He is tall, with a tight shirt that hugs his chest. He has a wide smile with a hint of cocky ego in it. Deep eyes, good smile, lean muscles. A crossbow in hand. He looks at how she is frowning when he sees her crossbow.

'I teach. Have a class in fifteen. I use this space for practice and to relax.'

He is leaning into the crossbow as Charlie smiles at him. She is walking over to him as he is extending his arm for her to shake his hand.

'I'm Jason. Jason Neville.'

* * *

Six weeks later Charlie stands in front of the mirror in her hallway. She is done applying her lip gloss. It is almost the same colour of her lips but it gives her face another sparkle. A deep red on her lips that is natural to the rest of her face. She is not the makeup kind of woman, but she likes to take care of herself. She is getting ready and running a bit behind schedule. She wears heels and a simple yet elegant dress.

Tonight she is meeting Jason's family for the first time. She is looking at herself and sees a Charlie in the mirror she does not know that well. She looks at a nervous version of herself. She does not know if she should feel nervous. She tells herself it is normal, right? She silences herself, she silences the questions that ask her if she belongs in this world of fancy diners and drinks in Julia's salon.

Later that nights she meets Tom Neville and Julia Neville at a stately house close to the city centre. Tom has a grin on his face when he opens the door that is not a real one. Charlie immediately agrees she does not like his eyes. Julia welcomes her into their home, but with missing true warmth. Jason guides her towards the living room for drinks with a hand on her lower back. His touch burns in a wrong way.

And when they start dinner, and Jason sits close to her and smiles at her at the grand dinner table with too much silverware, she realises with a hurting jolt just how much she misses pizza and cold beers on a simple but so very good night.

How she misses him. How she is around him. Bass. She pulls herself together as the jolt slowly passes. The lingering feeling of not belonging here doesn't. She makes small talk with both Julia and Tom. She eats her dinner from shiny plates and makes polite conversation the way her mother taught her from such a early age. She had already hated it then.

 _You do not belong here. You do not belong here._

And she feels lost in a sea of this world, of Tom Neville, and Julia Neville, and conversation and heels and dresses and Jason. .

Later, Jason drives him home. Tom had nodded his goodbye at her and Julia had placed kisses on her cheeks as goodbye. Charlie feels herself like she does not have anything to say to Jason the whole way through the city in his car. She hates his hand on his knee all of a sudden.

Jason walks her to her front door. She feels this wall of not wanting to invite him in.

'I haven't had the time to do this all evening ' Jason smiles at her, with flirting eyes. Before she can answer her sentence he has kissed her. He moves his tall hard body into him, and the evidence of how much me wants her is moving through his pants and the fabric of her dress, hard into her leg.

She lets Jason kiss her after much wine in her system. But then, she is missing Bass even more. She has to pull away from the kiss. Away from Jason who is pushing his body to eagerly towards her body next to her front door.

'What's wrong?' Jason asks, a little out of breath. And she looks up in his eyes. As she suddenly knows the answer.

That night she will sleep alone in her bed.

One week later they break up.

* * *

 **Author's Note Thanks for reading. There were many things coming together in this chapter, that had been set up throughout the story. Intense moments, heartbreak and time moving on. I wanted to place all of her guys around Charlie, because in the show and in season two, they were swirling around her as well around one point. I wanted to conclude this chapter with Charlie realising, things are not over, when it comes to her heart and Bass. Not by far. More of them in the next chapter. Love from Love**


	5. Chapter 5

The people who are there

5.

10 months ago

Bass is drinking. He barely does anything else these days. Drink. Work. Watching Jeremy's attempts to try and talk to him. Until one night Jeremy is standing at his front door. Bass is in a bad mood when he opens the door. When he sees Jeremy he starts walking back to his couch. He plants his ass down on it.

Jeremy is not letting this interfere with what he came here for.

'Okay buddy, grab some shit. Let's get you out of this apartment. I am taking you out for a drink.'

'No, not tonight, I am tired.' Bass grunts, pulling a hand through his hair. The fight with Miles had been two days ago. Charlie's shout to split them up too.

He has not seen Charlie. He has not heard from Miles. He knows this whole entire piece of shit conversation was about his brother and his inability to deal with his own shit, loosing Ben, screwing Rachel. Bass knows he fucked up with Nora many years ago on that drunken night when it was just them late at night at a bar, tension running between her and Miles and Bass for a very long time now. He is not proud of it. He fucking isn't. He has apologized, multiple times.

The reason why he is pissed at Miles is because he assumed he would not care for Charlie. The reason he is pissed, at that one is aimed at himself, is that Charlie had to find out about Miles and Rachel because of the one thing he said. His words echoing painfully in his own mind. _Do not tell me in my own damn house what I can or cannot feel for Charlie._ _Not when you are banging Rachel_.

The reason he is pissed at Miles because his brother is not able to look at all the stupid shit Miles had done and still is doing when Bass never not had his back. They are brothers, he won't ever walk away from Miles.

So he drinks whisky and bitches against the one friend that still has his back. Tonight.

'What, are we fucking old now?' Jeremy grins, on his way to his bedroom to pack some things for him.

'What are you doing? I thought you wanted to drag my ass to a bar?' Bass grunts, without stopping his drinking.

Jeremy stands with Bass' bag in his hands and an amused smile falling over his face. 'Oh I did not say the bar was here.'

* * *

Six hours of being in the same car as a moody as hell friend later, Jeremy turns the car of the highway.

Six hours of being in the same car next to his grinning friend that just pisses him of even more later, Bass can't believe he let Jeremy talk him into his. Not that he had much of a choice.

Jeremy gets out of the car after he parked it in a small street. Bass gets out too. He looks around him. Jeremy walks up behind him. 'It's a nice little town Bass. Welcome home.'

He looks at Bass. 'I'll go and find myself a nice bar to buy some nice woman a drink,. You know, the dashing gentleman I am.' He grins at Bass who gives him a small smile back.

Bass grabs his stuff. He starts walking to one house a little bit ahead. He _is_ home.

When Jeremy is out of sight, he takes a minute to look around. Many memories wash over him. Him so young, Miles so young. Playing soldiers, running through the grass, pretending the street and field was wherever they needed to take their adventure. A tree on a summer day. The letter M for Monroe and Matheson drawn on their arms. His arm next to Miles.

He looks up at the house in front of him. His home for so very long. He smiles, a soft smile that curls his lips in a fast smile and warm eyes, deep in thought.

And then the front door opens. A tall man with wide shoulders and gentle eyes appears in the doorway.

'So, are you coming in, or do I need to get your mother for some motherly persuasion?'

Bass grins as he moves up the stairs. William Monroe is there to wrap his large arms around his son, patting him on the back. His father had never been a shy man, always showing his heart and emotions.

'Dad.' Bass greets him.

Both men look at the other, both tall, strong, good hearts that are filled with family coming first.

'You in trouble, son?' William asks with a warm voice and no judgment. It is just a warm steady parental conclusion. When Bass looks at him William nods at him. ' Jeremy called me.'

Bass' face is about to fall a bit flat. William looks a bit stern, his jaw flexing with his stern face. 'Now you don't be mad at him, that guy is a good friend.'

Bass just shakes his head.

'Let's get you inside.' William says when he places a strong firm hand over his shoulder, as he and Bass walk inside and he closes the door.

'Sebastian!' Gail Monroe exclaims with a surprised look in her blue eyes. She is not as tall as William but Bass got her hands and smile and caring warmth.

'You did not tell her I was coming?' Bass smiles, turning to his father.

'No, he did not.' Gail answers, before William gets a chance.

Gail walks over to her oldest child, her son. She knows he is not that little boy she held in his arms after he was born or the little boy she watched going to school, grow up, enlist, make friends and find his way through life. But she never not hugs him. He never not lets her.

Bass takes in her sweet perfume when he hugs his mother and kisses her on her cheek right before his large arms encircle her. 'Hey mom.'

Then Gail looks a bit angry to William. 'You are in some trouble now William Monroe.'

William grins at him, his most charming grin and Gail tries to stay a bit angry, but she can't. Not with this man and the charm she fell for so many years ago when he took her out to dinner on that rainy late spring night and he had kissed her gently before he had walked her home near the gazebo in Jasper.

'You can stay as long as you want sweetheart.' She nods, Bass nodding back. 'You just missed the girls. Angela just walked home to tuck her little boy in and Cynthia has drove back to the city, I think she is meeting someone there.'

Bass always smiles at hearing his sisters'names. He is looking at a picture on the wall from Cynthia and Angela. Angela settled down in Jasper, meeting a good man and building her family herself. The little boy, Ross, named after his grandmother, they have welcomed in their lives is a great kid. Connor loves playing with him when he can. Bass too for that matter. Angela is a wild one. He grins at the difference between the two girls. Cynthia is a bit like himself when he was younger, a girl version of him. Enjoying her whisky, her men and her freedom in a city, not ready to settle down with anyone, with a warm smile and a good strong heart. Connor likes hanging out with her too, especially when auntie Cynthia is paying for his drinks.

Bass loves them both so very much, remembering how they felt in his arms the moment he had to leave home for basic when he had enlisted with Miles. Two little crying girls in his arms, their tears in his shirt and their foreheads against his shoulder when he had held them and told them to be take care of each other and their parents. And he had told them after that to to try to be nice about figuring out who wants to borrow who's mascaraa for the next weekend. It had earned him two giggles which he he ahd soaked up in his heart for the many month that lay ahead without them. Both of them had pulled him through many a night in a desert, far from home.

'I'll catch them next time.' Bass smiles when he is still looking the picture of his two little sisters.

Both Monroe men exchange a look. Gail sighs. 'Now go one you too, of to the garage and the whiskey I pretend you are not hiding there. I will get dinner started and maybe make some apple pie.'

* * *

In the garage, that always smells of wood and oil and home, they talk some more. About Connor, his work. Looking to his dad as he shows him the many things he is always working on, to help out people in the community with their small and not so small chores. The current one a radio that is not working from a neighbour. William Monroe is a patient man with steady hands and a good set of brains. Bass used to love watch him, make things, repair things. He still does.

Gail calls for them when dinner is ready. They eat around the family table that has been there for as long Bass can remember and Bass eats until he is full. And then takes another piece of pie with warm apple his mother has made.

'It's fantastic mom, thanks.' Bass smiles at her.

'Always the charming one, just like your dad.' Gail winks at her son, as she starts to get another piece of pie for herself. 'I think I deserve that one.' Bass and William drink their beer and smile with her.

When it is dark, and the sound of cricket's rise high in the air, both Monroe men are sitting on the porch. The bottle of good whiskey between them. Although his father always insisted to take two glasses. William Monroe never drinks out of the bottle. The bottle is an old one. A cherished one by both men.

They do not talk, they can just sit and listen to the night. William's voice is low and soft as she speaks again, but with certainty in it.

'So there is a girl?' William asks.

Bass looks up in surprise, swearing he will fucking kill Jeremy for telling him that.

William laughs at the surprised look on his son's face. 'There always is a girl, son.'

'She...' Bass' voice sounds low and in agony, a tired tone in his voice of missing her so damn much, 'she means a lot to me dad.'

'Then you fight for that son. If she is worth and you kids belong together, you will find a way with her. You will find a way for the both of you. ' William's voice sounds sure and calm. 'Have a family son, fall in love, live freely, have more children. Do not be alone.'

Bass feels tears coming to his eyes. He moves his eyes to the ground, his eyes filling with tears and blurring his sight.

'Your mom, your little sisters...they are my happiness son. There is nothing I will not do for them and I am glad I have always fought for them.'

Both men take a sip of whiskey at the same time. There is silence for a long time.

'You will figure it out with Miles, son.' Bass looks at his dad. His warm voice is comforting him. 'You two always have.'

And then William winks at him and puts an arm around his son, rustling his hair with his large but gentle fatherly hand. They sit outside for a very long time, just the two of them. Gail is turning of the lights in the house. She watches the backs of the thow most importan men in her life. Both strong,and kind and both of them so alike she knows them by heart. She smiles before she turns out the lights before going to bed.

* * *

Present day

Tonight Jeremy is having a drink with another friend.

It is ten months after he drove Bass to pull him out of his miserable desperate state. It is ten months after that weekend in Jasper. Jeremy had ordered a drink in the local bar after driving him and Bass there.

It had not been long until a sweet blonde had caught his attention. He had flirted with her, she had flirted with him. He had kissed her in a corner in the bar, her tongue playing with his, already making his cock hard and wanting her. They had barely made it to her bed, where he had moved his fingers under her shirt and his hardness deep into her warmth when he had pushed inside of her with her shirt still on and her pants around her damn ankles. Taking her there in her bed and one more time a couple of hours later, with her bend over her dinner table. He can still remember the weight of her tits in his hands when he had her bend over that damn table and her moan had made him come fast.

The memory makes him grin. But tonight, it is another city. And another friend. Jeremy is on his way to have a drink with Miles Matheson down town. Or he _was_ on his way to having a drink down town with Miles. Now he is just walking next to him and he is busy keeping his buddy busy with some random rambling about a woman he met a couple of weeks ago that was not even that interesting.

But Jeremy has no choice. Because when they are on their way to their favourite bar they pass one restaurant. He looks through a large window and into a restaurant as he sees another Matheson. A far more beautiful one as Miles. She has her back towards him so she does not see him. But he sees her. With another guy. Jeremy immediately dislikes the young and to sure of himself guy.

Miles looks at him as Jeremy looks at Miles. He tries to distract him. But it's too late. Miles has already turned around.

'What in the hell Jeremy, why are you behaving like some moron?' Miles looks from him to the spot Jeremy is avoiding with his eyes.

And there he watches his niece with some kind idiot sitting across from his girl.

He looks at Jeremy and bottled up frustration of the past few months come out. He starts to move.

'Miles...I don't think...' Jeremy tries.

But Miles does not listen anymore. He storms into the restaurant. He greets Charlie and then the idiot in front of her makes the mistake of opening up his mouth.

'Hey man.'

'Hey man?' Miles' voice is laced with sarcasm as he is imitating the younger man's voice. His fingers ache to smash him in the face.

Charlie looks lost. Jeremy tries to calm down Miles. Charlie looks from Miles to Jason. She is almost in tears. Jason can't take the loser comment of the guy in front of him. He gets up and puts his fist into the older man's face.

'Hey hey,' Charlie starts, trying to break them up with Jeremy. Miles just inhales deeply with his deep brown eyes still on the moron in front of him. Jason looks at him with daggers in his eyes.

'If you ever touch me again or touch her I will bash you little boy' band face in.' Miles snarls.

The restaurant falls silent.

'So sorry kid, I do not know what has gotten into him. You okay?' Jeremy watches her eyes filled with tears.

Charlie's voice sounds small and soft when she talks to Jeremy. 'No, we...we are breaking up and I was in the middle of ending things.'

'Shit.' Jeremy mutters.

'Yeah, shit.' Charlie tells him with her shoulders defeated. Miles is starting to calm down a little, listening to his niece and realising what she was doing here. Cursing at himself for messing with her personal life again. They have talked on the phone, met on a couple of occasions at her mom's but things are not what they used to be.

'Crap...' he mutters, whipping some blood away from his lip. Jason moves in to stand next to Charlie. Charlie shakes her head no to him when he wants to put his arm around her.

Jeremy grabs Miles and walks him outside, muttering towards Charlie he will call her later and how sorry he is.

He is sick and tired of a miserable Miles. Of a miserable Bass.

And him, somewhere stuck in the middle of two old friends who still are not talking to each other.

* * *

That same night, across town

'Bass, I saw her in a restaurant with Jason Neville when we walked passed it'

Bass looks with anger and shock at the same time at Jeremy. Bass had watched Jeremy's face the moment he had walked into his apartment. Something was the hell wrong and after asking Jeremy over and over again, Jeremy had caved. And told him what had happened with Nipples, the way Miles referred to the guy sitting in front of Charlie, when Jeremy had walked him to his bar. After dropping Miles at his bar and having a drinkk there, Jeremy had come over to see his other buddy.

'Jason Neville? As in Tom's son?' Bass' eyes fill with thunder. He knows Tom Neville. They use to do one tour together and Bass never ever liked the guy. Too cold, too much into it for his own reasons.

'So, what is this? Some kind of interrogation Bass?' Jeremy grins at him for the many questions Bass is throwing his way but there is a hint of warning in his voice.

Jeremy just nods to answer his question with a nodded yes.

'Fuck.' Bass growls. Pissed. Jealous. And needing her so bad he can almost taste it even after almost ten months. 'So of all the men out there, she had to pick a Neville?'

'I think they were in the middle of breaking up man...' Jeremy adds and watches something light up in Bass' face.

Bass feels the lighter shift in his heart, and then there is more jealousy for Charlie with another guy. It is dark and twisting around his feelings for her that never went away.

Jeremy looks at his best friend and he realises, something has to happen.

And lucky for them, for all of them, he is the smart adult of their little group. For now, he keeps his mouth shut and keeps his friend company with beer. A plans starts to unravel in his mind.

* * *

It is a couple of weeks later on an October night when Charlie receives a phone call. There is a woman's voice on the other line. It is warm. Her words are spoken with an English accent. She introduces herself as Maggie Foster. Asking if Charlie could meet her down town. Charlie is confused.

'What is this about?' Charlie asks.

'I knew your father.' The other woman's voice is small.

Fifty minutes later they meet in a coffee shop down town. Maggie gets up when she sees Charlie, clearly nervous. Charlie walks in with the autumn wind on her cheeks. Maggie has ordered two cups of tea and they are waiting for them in the booth she has chose.

'Charlie, hi, thanks for meeting me. I'm Maggie Foster.'

Charlie is not ready to shake her hand, not able to know who she is and how she is supposed to feel when it comes to her. She had walked with a heart filled with anger for not knowing about her. For a part of her dad's life that has been hidden from her. But she decided to give her a second change. Because that is exactly what her dad taught her. That is the part of Ben Matheson inside of her.

Maggie seems to understand. Charlie nods at her. 'You wanted to talk?'

'I have heard about your father, Charlie. And I am here, to tell you how sorry I am.'

'You called me for that?' Charlie's voice is sharp, her eyes flat as she raises an eyebrow.

'No, not only to tell you that. Also to tell you a part of your fathers' story. We were friends.'

Charlie looks at her with a frown. Maggie understands how hard this must be for her.

'Charlie there is no easy way to say this, but when your dad flew to Chicago, I was supposed to meet him there later that night. When I called your dad to ask him where he was, your mom answered. I did not wanted you to find out about me through her. I do not want any misunderstanding, Your father would not want that either.'

Maggie looks at the woman in front of her that is processing the fact her father would have met her later, on the day he died.

'How do you know what my father wanted?' Charlie hears the sharp tone in her own voice, she feels how she has started to tremble without realising it herself.

'Because he was my friend.' And then she starts her story. About her divorce. About how her work and the bad economy brought her here, to the States. And away from her children. How she met Ben in the hospital two years ago when she was working and he was there for Danny. How lonely she was. How depressed she was getting, missing her children. Feeling so alone. How her father helped her through.

'Your dad's friendship saved me.' Maggie ends her story with tears in her eyes.

It sounds like her father, Charlie think with a sad smile. It is silent again.

'You loved him?'

Maggie has to swallow.

'Yes, I did love him Charlie. But nothing ever happened, I can say with an honest heart there was nothing more than friendship.'

'Why?'

'The marriage between your mom and dad was not working anymore, and was almost over. Your dad did not wanted to put you through more. He stayed for your mom and Danny. But I think he stayed mostly for you. He could not leave you behind.' Her words are well chosen and soft.

'He always talked with so much love and admiration for his strong girl.'

Charlie's eyes fill with tears. She nods at the other woman, understandings lowly what Maggie is saying. As she is realising her parents' marriage was on the way to being broken anyway. How her parents tried. For her. Danny sick, Charlie already so strong as the big sister. And her father had not wanted to leave. Because of her. Ben had wanted to see if they could make things work. For the love for his children.

Charlie is asking questions. Maggie answering them. Charlie feeling overwhelmed but with a warmed heart to talk about her dad with a woman hat speaks with respect and very openly about him.

When they say goodbye, and before Charlie leaves she looks at the woman, still sitting in their booth.

'I am glad you called Maggie. Thanks for telling me the truth.'

'Thank you, Charlie. You take care of yourself, all right?'

Charlie nods. And before she is out of the door she turns and walks back. 'I'm sorry you lost him too Maggie.'

Maggie has to take a moment to compose herself.

'Oh Charlie, you are s much like him.' She smiles with tears in her eyes, overwhelmed with the size of this girls' heart.

Charlie smiles at the biggest compliment anyone could ever give her. And then she does what her father would have done too. She reaches out.

'If you ever need to talk, you have my number.'

Charlie leaves with Maggie's smile.

She leaves the coffee shop and walks around the city, her hands deep in her pockets. She is processing everything she has heard. About two sides to one marriage. About friendship and love. An before she is home. Even before she is there. She then knows. She knows she has to see him. Bass.

* * *

Jeremy throws his keys on the kitchen counter. He had a long weekend behind him, another training with Bass in a forest. A weekend of living outdoors, workshops, tents and an open fire and a group of corporate idiots who did not even know how to keep a fire going.

He is on his way to his fridge to grab a beer. The city is asleep around him. But his mind isn't. He has figured something out to mend the broken parts of friendship in their group and he cannot wait to execute his very, very clever plan.

He grabs his phone and dials a number.

'So, any chance you two can leave your tequila and senoritas for a couple of days to come to Vegas with me for a boys weekend?'

He is met with a grin at the other side of the line. He hears Danny in the background when he talks to Connor at the phone. There are some other bar noises and girls giggling as well. Looks like they boys are having a great time. Jeremy remembers those days, hell he is still enjoying them every now and then. He is happy for them. They are young and should enjoy all that life has to offer. And if that is girls and beer, so be it.

It does not take long to convince Matheson and Monroe junior to tag along. Connor tells him they will meet each other at the airport in about a week before he hangs up. Jeremy drinks his beer and smiles at himself. 'Damn kids.' He sips at his beer.

'When a man is in trouble, Vegas is still the answer.' He grins at himself.

* * *

 **Author's note I always wanted to write a scene with Bass, William and Gail. To let Bass return to Jasper and let his father open the door, to let his mom greet him with warmth and love, his sisteres close, out there, living their lives. I loved I could do that here. Also, I wanted to write Maggie with Charlie. We conclude this chapter with plans for...Vegas! They all will be there, as the story moves on! Lemon, I hope you enjoyed another chapter. Thanks for your support and to everyone who is reading this story: thank you so much! Of the Vegas everyone, who is coming? :) Love from Love**


	6. Chapter 6

The people who are there

6.

Charlie's phone rings again. It does not seem to do anything else these days. She feels how her heart longs to hear one voice at the other side of the line. She walks from the bathroom to her phone. Her hair is wrapped in a towel and she has enjoyed a long shower. She recognises Danny's voice immediately.

'He sis, Connor and I thought we would check out the ladies in Las Vegas. Want to join us?'

Charlie smiles at his eagerness and the way he is trying to cheer her up. 'I don't know Danny...'

At the other side of the line she hears Danny mutter something. She thinks she hears Connor and another voice. 'She says she doesn't know...'

She hears the phone being placed in someone else's hands. And then she hears Jeremy's voice.

'Pack you back kid, we are going to Vegas. I have painted a lot of walls in some debatable colours _for you._ You are coming to Vegas with us for me. We leave Friday. Pick you up at eight.'

Charlie looks at her phone. They have hang up on her. She curses something. But then she realises that maybe she could use some fun. Eight it is.

* * *

One week later

Jeremy feels a tight feeling in his gut. _Nerves_. He does not do nerves. Plane ride. Check. Airport. Check. All the luggage here. Check. Group of friends, check. A lot of fucking emotional baggage. Check.

Him getting definitely killed for this. Check.

A grinning Connor, an upbeat Danny and a moody as hell Bass have met at the airport. Connor bought everyone a round of whiskey, he is a Monroe after all, after checking in their luggage. The one person that is not here, is Miles. Jeremy has left out that little detail when he had invited Bass. And now, he is afraid he won't even show up.

But then Jeremy looks at the other side of the terminal. And oh, Miles is showing up. Bass' face screams thunder the moment he sees Miles at the airport.

Miles' face is thunder too after he greets Danny and Connor as he sees that Bass, the moron, is standing next to Connor and Danny. He stares at them and considers going home.

'Hey, I just drove across the map to get here man.' Bas growls.

'You live fifteen minutes from the airport, you moron.' Miles growls back.

'Gentleman, we have a plane to catch.' Jeremy starts. He places himself between both men, throwing an arm around each of them. 'Oh come on guys, you can do 72 hours without killing each other. This is a boys weekend, it is going to be fun!'

Behind him, Danny and Connor are howling with approval.

Its' touchdown in Vegas. The plane ride had been a bit tense, Jeremy has to admit that. He sat in the middle of two pouting grown men, who were drinking from the little plane bottles of booze. While both Connor and Danny were flirting with the stewardesses.

He is just happy right now he has not put Charlie on the same plane. It would have been one fucking disaster. She had to work late and because she has just started her new job at a bookstore, she did not wanted to piss her boss of to ask for extra free hours now. Jeremy had found it a perfect excuse to tell her it was no problem and a hell of a way to escape further drama on a plane. He had booked her another ticked. Telling her he would pick her up at the airport.

Jeremy is sweating as he curses something, telling himself he needs a drink when they walk out the airport and look for a cab that brings them to their hotel. Or a damn bottle when this is over. Vegas is waiting for them.

* * *

Five hours later and he has left Bass and Miles in day-care for grown men with some dollars and some very bendy almost nude ladies. Also known as the afternoon stripper show. He picks up Charlie and his heart is beating in his chest when he drives them back to the hotel in a rental car.

'So, the guys are all there?' Charlie smiles at him.

'Oh they are all there..' Jeremy smiles back, uneasy as hell.

At the hotel he walks her up to up to her room and after Charlie drops her suitcase in it he smiles at her, when she frowns at him, asking if everything is all right.

He nods yes, but he means no. Fuck, he reminds himself to never ever to this again in the history of ever.

They have a drink together and after Connor and Danny met her he encourages her to have some fun. So he can deal with Miles who just came back from all the stripper fun. He sees his niece walking through the casino and then grabs Jeremy's shirt.

'What in the hell is she doing here?'

Jeremy explains, knowing he has no other option but coming clean.

Miles just looks at him and moans in agony. 'Oh hell no.'

'Oh come on man, this is a good thing and you know it. Those two just need a little push'

Miles sits his ass down at the closest bar and orders two drinks. Grunting something but still giving one glass to Jeremy. Knowing his friend coul be right. Jeremy drinks his drink as he watches Charlie make her way through the casino. He nods at Connor and Danny to leave her alone.

Both men make an excuse about girls as they leave Charlie behind with a mocking smile in her eyes and her eyebrows raised at her brother and Connor.

Both Miles and Jeremy look at her moving through the casino. And of course, right at that moment, when Charlie is moving towards the roulette wheel, Bass Monroe has a god damn blond dangling from his arm and is walking towards her.

It is like a fucking car crash happening right in front of him.

Jeremy watches the exact moment Charlie sees Bass, and he sees her.

'Oh Fuck.' Is all that Jeremy can grunt in agony.

* * *

Bass was bored. And still missing Charlie like hell. So he said yes to the company of some boring girl who's name just won't stick in his brain. She is dangling around his arm like he has some kind of honey on it. He walks with her, drinks with her, thinks he could do some betting on his own and maybe get rid of said blonde. And then he sees her.

Charlie. She is here. And right before he can say anything to her as they locks eyes and it moves straight to his damn heart, her eyes go to the fucking blonde on his arm. And she turns. Away from him as he watches her move away from him. The blonde on his arm is slowing him down and before he can react she is out of sight.

Charlie watches him. Bass. He is here. Her heart jumps. And then she sees he is not alone, he is here with the some other girl. And she cannot believe he is here. Or maybe she can but she does not understand it fully. She just knows she cannot be here as she starts walking for the nearest door leading to a staircase as she pushes it open. She stars running down the stairs. But she is in heels. And she is upset. She is almost crying. No, she is crying.

So she falls.

She cries, not because of the hurt in her knee that is burning now from the impact with the floor down the stairs. But also, and most of all, from having to miss him so much and hating to see him with some other girl.

A warm hand is on her shoulder all of a sudden. 'Hey Charlie, you all right?'

* * *

Bass has no fucking clue where Charlie is as his eyes scan the room.

'Something wrong? The blonde asks with her sugar sweet voice.

'Get the hell away from me.' He grunts. He knows he is an asshole but all that matters now is her, Charlie. Not the blonde who is literally dragging her clwas into his lower arm.

The blonde whines about him being an asshole before she lifts her chin high and stomps of on her high heels. Bass cannot find Charlie in the crowd of people in the casino. He does see Jeremy near a bar. He is with him in a couple of large strides.

'You brought her here?' Bass spits out as he grabs Jeremy at his shirt. 'Without telling me? I will fucking killing you Jer.'

Miles has to intervene.

Bass' eyes are dark and on Jeremy, without letting him go. 'You don't think I would huh?'

'Hey Bass, come on. He was just trying to help.' Miles is trying to calm Bass down.

Bass feels utter rage. Not because he doubts the heart and good intentions of a friend, but because Charlie got hurt seeing him with some bimbo.

Then Miles grabs him at his shirt and pulls him away from Jeremy as Bass is breathing harshly.

'She went for the staircase man.' Jeremy nods to his left. Bass sees the door. Both men nod, and then. Then Bass is on his way.

He walks through the room, passing people, opening the door and starting to walk down the stairs. And then, he sees Charlie. With his kid fucking close to her.

Connor had been bragging about seeing some blonde. He sure as hell did not mean... Bass is on the stairs, on her way to her as he stands still and looks at them with rage and blue shock in his eyes.

Charlie looks up at him with big eyes and tears on her cheeks. Bass does not look any further. If he had, he had seen Danny on Charlie's right, behind her. Connor and Danny had seen it all happen, and had followed her to make sure she was okay, finding her on the ground at the bottom of the stairs.

'You are kidding me, you have got to be kidding me?' Bass starts to yell. His voice echoing through the staircase. Charlie tries to get up, as she is still furious about the blonde somehow but she also wants to reach him and tell him he has this all wrong. Hurt is next for him thinking she would be able to be with his son when all she needs is him. Him.

Before Connor, Danny or Charlie can say anything he has stormed away. The door falls shut somewhere above them. When he is gone, Charlie cannot hold back her tears. Bass left. He doesn't come back. Leaving Charlie in tears, Connor's hand on her arm and her head buried in Danny's neck for this big giant Vegas mess.

* * *

Two hours later, the 24th floor of the hotel

She had every intention to yell at him. She really had. For that blonde, for him assuming she would go for Connor and hurt him like that. Yelling for her hearat in frustrated love for him and no way of being with him for the past long months. She had found his hotel room. And now, she has knocked on his door.

Bass opens and is standing all of sudden in front of her. Looking tired. Hurt. Torn.

Bass had expected Jeremy or Miles. He had hoped it would be here. And there she fucking is and god he has missed her and hell, he longs for her. He knows, and has always known Connor and her had not been together. His impulsive jealous stupid part of his heart had reacted to fast. Connor had followed him through the casino. Demanding from him he would listen. Listening to his son calming him down had made him feel so utterly and completely stupid for letting jealousy and rage fuel his actions

Charlie opens her mouth to say anything but she cannot think of anything better than to feel his lips on hers.

So she jumps into his arms, seeing the shock in his eyes as she wraps her legs around him. Right before she closes his eyes she watches shock being replaced by lust.

Bass slams the door shut and there is no time left for kissing or touching. He needs her. It burns through him. She needs him, it is all there is. They work on each other's pants and are only satisfied when they both moan deeply, as Bass thrusts into her with one longing deep thrust.

'Missed you baby, so fucking much.' Bass groans into her ear.

'Me too Bass.. me ...' but then cannot think and moans his name again. 'Fuck me Bass. Fuck me.'

He is right where he wants to be. Deep inside of her and her where he can feel her. Charlie feels how is filling her up. He is right where she needs him to be.

After their passionately making love against the door, Bass is still holding her up against it. His sweaty wide chest against her soft breasts. She is still breathing, he is too. Their foreheads touch.

'I never wanted this mess Bass...' Charlie's voice is small.

'Me too, baby.' Bass looks into her eyes as he kisses her forehead.

'I do not want to be the one to rip you apart. I am not...' Charlie swallows. 'I do not want to be...her.' _Her mom_. She is not saying it but she does not have to. Bass understands.

'Listen sweetheart,' Bass' voice is low and gentle. Charlie is smiling softly at him at so much gentleness from this tall strong man in front of her who is still holding holding her up with his thighs while her legs are still wrapped around his middle, ' you will never come between me and Miles because we both love you too fucking much.'

He watches Charlie, he watches her understand what he is saying. He watches tears in her eyes that are also in his own. He waits, until she tells him with her eyes they are good. Them. Love. Together. Never not without the other anymore.

Charlie knows she will walk downstairs with Bass later and burry herself in Miles' arms. She has no doubt they will be waiting for her. Telling her they are all right when her uncle's hand will be wrapped around her head. They never were not allright. They were just lost people, grieving, trying. She will let Miles buy her and Bass a drink. And they will talk, later. And she will sit as the only girl in the middle of her guys, on their boys weekend. A boys weekend, plus one lady. Lster, they will all drink. She sitting with Bass and Miles, with Jeremy and Danny and Connor. Miles will order a brand that Ben loved, as they will raise a glass to him and love.

For now, Bass moves her to the bed and they go for another round of lovemaking, hard, soft, intense, sweet. All that is them too.

When he has made her come with love and deep thrusts he has moved her against his chest, under his arm with her head against his strong chest.

Charlie lays next to him, both now looking at the other. Bass finds her eyes going along his jaw. Charlie looks at his beard. He has giving up shaving after she left and she kind of likes it.

'You like the beard huh?' He smirks smugly.

She pokes him in the ribs but still kisses his scruff. Bass grabs her and pulls her deeper into his arms.

'You should definitely keep it Bass.'

Should we check on the rest?' Charlie asks lazily, thinking of Jeremy, Miles, Connor and Danny somewhere downstairs at the hotel, her finger still trailing Bass scruff.

'You mean on the guys?' Bass smirks. 'There are whiskey and strippers downstairs. I think they will be fine.' He grunts, with a smile through it.

Charlie hears his voice and laughs with him. She pulls him close, kissing the sweat on his neck, letting his scruff move against her skin when she straddles him and his large hands find their way to her hips.

And indeed, they guys _are_ fine. Later, there will be strippers. But now they are downstairs, in the restaurant. Miles has just ordered steaks and gives another round of booze. And the guys are celebrating Vegas and friendship with a dinner while she and Bass had been celebrating upstairs.

They are having their boys weekend, as she and Bass have theirs. In bed. In each other's arms

Bass hears her laugh. And he feels her love. She feels his, as she lets him kiss her, soaking up his scruff and scent, and knowing, he is there, just like the rest of the people she loves, the people who are always there. Who are never far.

No matter how stormy live can be, no matter how hard life can get. How impossible und unfair.

Both her and Bass are surrounded by family. Here with them or the family that are forever living on in their hearts. Their hearts a bit stronger together.

They would not want to do this, all of this, all these moments that forge a life, without them.

Not without all of them by their side for all these moments. Those who will be with you on your best days, on your darkest days and all the days in between. Those who will grieve with you, drink with you, and are always there to tell you the truth. See the truth in you but still are there, for everything that is you. Those who will never stop fighting for you, with you, with love and care and who will never look away when you need them to look at you, for all that you are.

Them.

The people who are there.

 **The End**

* * *

 **There will be an epilogue, to brings everything from the story together, further ahead in time. To see how everyone is doing. Dear Lemon, I hope you have enjoyed this. It was an honour to write this for you. I enjoyed it so very much. Thank you, and to you all, for reading. I wish you love and people who are there for you. Always. Love from Love**


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue

Bass makes a left. He moves the car onto a path that makes the car move over harder terrain. The shadows of the trees above them. Charlie sits next to him, his hand on her knee, his fingers close to her thigh. His hand is warm, just like his smile. His fingers and touch is strong and gentle, just like they love they give each other.

It is three years after Charlie received a phone call that changed her life. Her father _, Ben, Benjamin_ , now gone but a part of her heart, forever branded into her. The people around her stronger and closer than they ever were around her.

They both grin when they see Jeremy before the small cabin in the distance. He is grinning back when he spots them. There are already three cars in front of the cabin. Charlie recognises Miles' car, Jeremy's car and Connor's. Jeremy has the gang back together. He has booked a cabin in the woods.

They make a chaotic group of twelve this weekend while Bass stops the car in front of the small cabin in the woods on a Friday afternoon.

Bass is grinning and saying something to Charlie while Miles looks a bit pissed when he gets out of the car with Rachel.

Jeremy greets Charlie and Bass with a quick hello. He looks from them to Miles.

'Ah come on guys, one weekend without electricity. We will be just fine.' Jeremy grins while he unloads a large crate with food and booze, both whiskey and beer.

Charlie stretches when she gets out of the car, the couple of hours in the car spend with music and Bass' hand on her knee making her muscles a bit tired. She catches Bass staring at her ass. She just winks at him and then throws his bag to his stomach a little bit harder then she needed too. Bass can't help but grin and the fire that is still Charlie. And dammit, is that fire turning him on right the hell now. He just smiles at her smugly, making Charlie rolls her eyes at him.

'Uhu.' Bass grunts in his response to Jeremy, looking at Charlie who is blushing with all the ways he is telling her with his eyes what he will do to her later as revenge.

Charlie nods to her mom with a fast smile when she walks to the cabin. Rachel walks up to her to greet her. Things between them have not been easy. But with many hours, talking, fighting and crying they have found some kind of balance. She had told Miles a couple of months ago she wanted it to be him, that if her mom moved on it should be with him. Miles had looked at her, not being able to speak.

After that, the affair he had with Rachel moved into the open reality, and they were both trying to make it work. Bass had just pulled Charlie close that night in the bed of their apartment, pressing a kiss in her hair. Telling she knew how to give love like no other woman he knew. She had buried her nose into his neck and had not said anything back, her hands circling around his shoulders, needing him close, her heart swelling with love and pride.

'Hey kid,' Miles grins at her.

'Uncle Miles,' she smiles sugar sweet, knowing how much he hates it. She catches his grin and she is happy to see him smiling a bit more. He is drinking less and she is happy he is in a better place. The both of them are. Both of them on a basis of trust again.

Charlie walks upstairs while she moves her bag, quite heavy, to one of the bedrooms. She finds a room with the door open and Danny and Connor bickering who gets the top bed in the bunk bed.

'Well, that is very mature of you.' She grins.

'Hey sis.' Danny grins while Connor walks to her to give her a hug after Danny. Charlie moves her bag into a room a couple of doors from them. There is a large bed waiting and she smiles at what could be happening there.

'Oh that is one hell of a bed kid.' Jeremy grins when he watches Charlie unpack.

Connor and Danny grown in agony behind him.

'Dude, you are talking about my sister...' Danny starts. 'And my dad..' Connor sighs, nodding his head.

* * *

Rachel is unpacking groceries in the kitchen, enough to feed an army for weeks to come. The guys had build a fire in the fireplace and to celebrate that, Jeremy is pouring everyone drinks. Deciding it is after four and they all could use one. Bass and Miles are enjoying their whiskey with Connor and Danny.

Charlie is just busy with another bag she has just move into the crowded but warm living room of the cabin. It is slowly getting dark. They all hear another car outside.

Bass grins when his father appears in the doorway, followed by his mom. 'Dad.' He smiles warmly, when he kisses his mother on her cheek and greets his dad.

'We brought some guests...hope you do not mind.' William starts as he starts to greet Connor with a hug for his grandson. He shakes hands and pats on the backs with Miles and Danny before he greets Jeremy. And then Angela and Cynthia appear in the doorway.

'Hello big brother.' Angela starts, moving into the cabin with a smile. Cynthia follows her, both of the young woman smiling. Angela has a bottle of whiskey in her hands. 'Let's get this weekend started, shall we?'

They are all met with laughter and quickly the living room is turned into one chaotic family afternoon with food, whiskey and dinner.

Jeremy moves his head to Charlie, nodding to her and her bag in the corner of a room.

'Kid, I have to ask, what is in the damn bag.'

Charlie just grins lazily and she opens her back. She shows her an impressive survival package with knives, a compass, maps and everything else she has packed.

Bass and Miles just grin with pride at her. Jeremy laughs. 'Oh kid, you would take care of all of us when the shit would go down.'

Dinner has been hectic, chaotic and good. There are not enough places around the table so Charlie had been next to Angela and Cynthia on the floor with their plates on the low wooden coffee table. Bass' eyes always following the most important woman in his life.

Gail had walked up to him, her warm hand in his neck. 'I am so happy you found each other.'

Bass grabs her hand, nodding. 'Me too mom...me too.'

Charlie falls asleep with Bass' arms around her, after many glasses of wine with Gail, Angela and Cynthia. The ladies embarrassing Bass and Miles with many childhood stories. Charlie had not remembered giggling so much.

At the end of the night it had been her and Gail on the couch. She had moved her hand slowly to and around her cheek. A motherly gesture.

'He would have wanted you to be happy like this Charlie.'

Charlie nodded, a glass of wine in her hand. Her dad so close, grateful for Gails' warm words. She had let the wine and the warmth of the fire and everyone chatting in the cabin pull her into sleep. It had been Bass' arms that had moved her against his chest before he had carried her to bed.

* * *

She is hiking. Again. The brisk air of the early morning in the forest filling her lunges. The sounds of the forest close. And then she smiles. Because she knows when she will turn around, he, will be there. Bass. The last years have been kind to them, giving them room and time to get to know the other, to let love form and grow. They are in a good place and both of them care for the other and are there for the other.

This morning they had sneaked out, after Miles asking them where the hell they were going, laying on the couch with one hell of a hangover. He had muttered something about coffee and Bass had just signalled Charlie with his eyes to leave his brother be and come outside with him.

And now they had been following a trail, Charlie's eyes on the ground and looking where the path would take them next.

'Charlotte, what are you doing?'

'Taking a left, what does it look like, you moron?' Charlie says, a bit irritated that he is using a name that she had decided was not for her at the age of seven. But pissing him with an easy insult is worth the risk of his eyes filling with thunder. The hot make up sex never far behind adding more sweetness to pissing him off.

Bass feels turned on and a bit pissed at her stubbornness. He had not been able to take her last night, since his woman had been passed out after conspiring against him with his sisters and mother telling stories about him they wished they hadn't.

His male parts are pressing and protesting in his pants at the look of her being her stubborn fucking beautiful self. Hips, lips. Attitude.

He does not need long before he pulls her close and moves her to the nearest tree. Smiling and whispering into her hear.

'We are so taking a right.'

Charlie grins into his kiss. She knew they wouldn't. Left it was. But for now she just let him pull her to his tall body.

'Shut up and get to work Bass.' She grins at him.

His hands are moving already to his damn pants when he presses her a bit harder against the tree with his thighs only. 'Oh you are going to pay for that, Charlotte.' His voice is husky, making her already more ready for him than she is.

Charlie feels his breath against her neck. She shivers as she responds to his strength, him taking the lead and his thighs under her legs. His hand is about to move to the backpocked of his jeans, but Charlie stops him.

'I do not want to use protection, Bass.'

He looks at her, shocked love in his eyes. They look, they touch, they wait. They have talked about this before. Many times. And now, here, today, it is there. He kisses her urgently. Her feet dangling in the air when he moves into her. Bass filling her, her body needing and welcoming him.

Bass takes care of her, thrust by thrust. He is about to come fast, the fresh air hitting his ass and the rawness of taking her outside against a tree stimulating his brain.

'Stay inside of me..' Charlie whispers.

Bass just looks at her as he forgets to trust inside of her. Her whisper means another step, another step in time and in their relationship. They could make life while making love, they both know.

'Are you sure?' Bass pants, his eyes filled with love.

'So sure, Bass..' She kisses him as he kisses her back. 'So sure..' Charlie hangs on to him as he speeds up the pace of his thrusting as he holds her closely against the tree in a dark forest, right until he cannot hold back and empties himself inside of her, while his lips search in need for her.

She feels how he comes inside her for the very first time, without boundaries. It brings tears to her eyes, for what it could mean, for what he means. Tears he just kisses away with his gentle lips.

* * *

It is a Saturday evening, and a group of people sit around a fire. William Monroe moves a blanket around his wife' knees, Bass and Charlie not missing the gesture.

Bass moves his mouth to her ear, as his eyes move to her belly once again, hoping for what could be growing there after this afternoon. 'That is going to be you and me, babe.'

Charlie smiles and nods, telling him she loves her with his eyes.

Angela and Cynthia are sitting next to Connor and Danny, talking about their life's. Their family, college, hopes and dreams. The two woman very interested in a woman Connor met through work. Duncan. They are torturing him until they get every last bit of information out of him. Connor looks helplessly at his dad and then at Danny, who are shrugging and would not dare to interfere with two woman who are trying to get to the bottom of this.

Their laughing fills the air, grinning at stupid jokes and enjoying their whiskey's, while Cynthia choose a bottle of wine she shares with her mother.

William smiles with pride when he looks at them, at his daughters, and son and grandchild and everyone around them that is family, blood or no blood relations. They just are.

Miles is moving his fingers slowly over Rachel's back, guarding a bottle of good whiskey that was once Ben's. He had brought it and Jeremy grabs twelve glasses when they all hear another car in the distance on the other side of the cabin.

Charlie starts to feel the excitement in her chest. When they all look to the cabin, Maggie Foster appears. She had called her, to be here, to join them tonight. She had introduced Jeremy and Maggie on a birthday and they had hit it off. Charlie had decided they could use a little push into the right direction. Maggie and Jeremy had been talking, realising they had much in common. Jeremy missing his children, now they were gone. Maggie's children on the other side of a wide ocean. They both enjoyed a good glass of whiskey and Charlie had watched them on her birthday a couple of months ago. Talking and forgetting time.

Charlie walks up from her spot near the fire, walking to Maggie. She introduces her to everyone. Maggie standing in front of Rachel in silence. They shake hands and nod.

Jeremy gets up. 'Well..hi...' He starts to stammer as he shakes hands with Maggie, while Bass and Miles are grinning.

Charlie looks at them. 'Don't be suck dicks.'

Miles then cannot help but laugh at her using a words he just loves to use like he drinks whiskey. Jeremy si grinning and Maggie is smiling. Gail is getting her a glass of wine and Maggie and Jeremy cannot stop at looking at each other.

One hour later and Jeremy can still not look away from Maggie. God, he has been falling for her. Years ago he though life had stopped for him, after losing his wife and kids. And now, life can move on, begin again. With her. He will have to talk to Charlie about this little stunt, but when Charlie is grinning at him, he knows he cannot be mad at her for long. Not at her.

Miles starts to fill the whiskey glasses with Ben's whiskey that Jeremy had brought to their circle around the fire. Charlie feels tears sting in her eyes but then she feels Bass' hand in her neck, reassuring, _soft, warm, home_. She watches Gail and William, who sit closely together. Cynthia and Angela share the blanket around their legs that Bass grabbed for them just like William had grabbed one for his wife. Rachel lets Miles put an arm around her shoulder and Danny and Connor enjoy their whiskey's. Maggie is sitting next to Jeremy, the distance between them closing with every minute they share this evening.

Jeremy remembers his two children, his wife. He remembers them and has to swallow. He remembers how he tried to deal with the grieve with destruction and booze and getting lost in fight after fight. He remembers two man that had been there while two men had been hitting and beating him in a dark alley. He remembers each and every moment and what it had meant to him, their friendship.

Bass nods to him as Miles moves an arm around him.

He locks eyes with Charlie as their group of twelve is toasting together around a warm fire and crisp golden forest air around him. Then he looks to the ground, overwhelmed with emotions. Maggie looks up at him and laces her fingers through his hand. She nods at him, silently and warmly.

It is silent for a while, the fire warming them as the group sits together around a simple fire. But there is nothing simple about their love. It is strong and complex and everything that is there and matters. Connor. Bass. Charlie. Danny. Miles. Rachel. William. Gail. Angela. Cynthia. Maggie. Sitting around one fire, their thoughts and love with all the people that were there and the people that are there forever with them.

Jeremy breathes in and then breathes out as his voice reaches them all above the sounds of the fire and a owl high above their heads in a tree nearby, a nightly sound high above them.

' Here's to them.'

* * *

 **Here's to the people who are there. Love. Family. Friendship. Thank you so, so much for reading. Dear Lemon, it has been my pleasure to write this for you. You are a very kind and talented woman, and I am so happy we met here through the stories of Revolution. Here's to you! Love from Love**


End file.
